Stackman's Adventures (Chapter four)

[bsftcs]

Descending Into the Premises of the Dead

Being the fourth chapter of Stacman’s adventures

In which the origin of two popular Gael Serran children’s games are revealed, and in which the warlock ponders the immense culinary pleasure of consuming rodent pubic hairs.

When the five adventurers sleeping in Shinwiki’s hut awoke the zenmaster was still having a very good time with the local amphibian youth over at the toadem grounds. Quickly he was summoned to the hut and after a short breakfast the party was ready to leave. Shinwiki and Ekbu thanked the party of Ukabus once again, and the party left. They were in high spirits – especially the zenmaster and it was impossible to tell that he had not slept the whole night. But then again he was also in good training. He had once stayed awake for several Gael Serran days while Stackman slept leaving his computer on waiting for the zenmaster’s monk training to be complete. (As explained by, among many others, Ryanamur on Page two of the Best tips. (Reply named “For the monk quest”.))

They started the journey back towards Valeia keeping to the west bank of Snake River. They passed the entrance to the Caves of Ishad N’ha and went on always keeping to the west bank of Snake River. They also passed the clearing on the east side of the river where a raptor spawns for the ranger quest (as explained in legendary Sazerac’s role ascension table on Page two of the Best tips). They walked through the entire day and had covered a great distance when nightfall forced them to camp.

Next day was cloudy and rainy. After walking for a few hours they got to the place where Snake River widened and became Nymph Lake. They swam to the other side and walked along the broken paths towards Valeia. They paused for lunch in a small grove almost hidden from view of trees just west of Valeia. They then followed a path leading just north of the town.

There they encountered a band of four rogues seemingly responsible for a cart-crash, since a broken cart, a treasure chest, and a rather confused horse were found nearby. These rogues were also a fixed encounter. In the case of random encounters one can run away from the monsters and they will eventually disappear. Fixed encounters will continue to exist until killed. They will also follow after the party, and thus it is the fixed encounters who are the cause of the official Forum motto ”They will hunt you down” which every little boy and girl in the Gael Serran knew of and which had sparked off the popular children’s game in the Gael Serran carrying the same name.

The party soon entered Valeia. Here they went to the armoury. Knowing from legendary Sazerac’s quest list (on Page four of the Best tips (reply named “Guild Quests in each town and their advancement”)) that the ”investigate Toad Village” quest was a quest carrying a promotion they were now able to do the the multiple promotion trick (As explained by the legendary jester deity Bungleau in his first reply to Halx’s question). This they were only able to do since their version of the game was unpatched (The effects of the patch are explained by legendary Bungleau on Page eight of the Best tips and Sazerac in his first reply to Xyanthon Singultus’s topic). They then undertook the ”Sword of Mastus” quest. Thus ended the second out of three quests given by the warrior guild in Valeia.

The party then went to the temple and received the reward for the ”Mekdawa potion quest”. They also did the multiple promotion trick here. They then accepted the ”fundraising” quest and paid the money straight away. Thus ended both the first and the second quest given by the priest guild of Valeia. The party then undertook the ”Ring of Saints” quest.

With the “Scabban” quest from the wizard’s guild, the “Sword of Mastus” quest from the warrior’s guild, and the “Ring of Saints” quest from the priest guild undertaken, together with the “Algamesh’s necklace” quest from Kerielle and the “rat pie” quest from Bilbump they had all the reasons they needed to go to the crypt. Since it was late afternoon the party decided not to go to the crypt that day. Instead they lodged at the inn for the night dining well. While the bard entertained the party playing the lute of miracles (he had been playing the lyre of illusion until the innkeeper got tired of having to house the summoned creatures in the stables) the warlock and the valkyrie went over the maps of the crypt drawn in the Tome of Legends (as found at Xignal’s Site)

Next morning they went off just before dawn. They walked the path to the cemetery and entered the grounds. They did not have to linger for long inside the gate before some of the local inhabitants arose from their graves. They were quickly laid to rest again, and the valkyrie picked up the skulls they had left behind, enjoying the fact that her crusade trait had given her double experience points bonus for slaying the skeletons (as explained in legendary Sazerac's traits table on Page three of the best tips). They walked towards the entrance of the crypt and suddenly the crypt lord appeared summoning three other skeletons. Knowing that the Crypt Lord would have to be finished off first so that he could not summon any more skeletons the assassin, to whom the others had not seen much that day since he had been hiding in shadows, giantstruck his enchanted katana, further gaining the benefit of the backstab trait since he was cloaked, thus putting an end to the Crypt Lord. The remaining skeletons were quickly taken care off.

The barbarian nudged the right statue by the crypt entrance and the door opened. The party descended into the murky depths below. Reaching the room at the bottom they recalled the time when they had first been here, how they had been running around for days not getting anywhere, how Stackman in frustration had forced them to explore all of the Wilderness of Valeia, before finally in a last fit of despair he had noticed the lever on the wall to the left. As they remembered this a chill ran down their spines. This had been a time when land of Gael Serran had been very close to meeting the total annihilation described only in the most vague apocalyptic myths: The dreaded “format: C” command, which every man and woman in the Gael Serran spoke of with awe since they had first heard of it in old nursery rhymes, and which the otherwise benevolent Stackman had almost brought over the Gael Serran out of despair. Now “Spot the lever” was a familiar children’s game. (Credits to legendary Olli Kalma for that one).

The valkyrie flipped the lever, and the party waited for the crypt map to load. From the transition room the party went through an “S”-shaped corridor. In a room to the right of the corridor they looted a treasure chest. There was also a room to the left. It had a level two lock. Piece of cake for the bard. He picked the lock and they were soon inside. The valkyrie picked up a skull resting on a table while the bard picked the lock on a treasure chest in the corner. They sifted through the contents of the chest, and there the assassin found a necklace matching the description of Algamesh’s necklace. Happy he took the necklace looking forward to giving it to Kerielle.

They walked on and soon the corridor split into two diverging branches. They walked to the right and soon came to a “T”-shaped intersection. They turned right again and came to a room with a small fountain and some treasure. They walked back and took the other branch of the intersection. Walking down a flight of stairs they came into a room with a statue. A closed portcullis barred them their way. They then walked back and took the left road at the first intersection they had come upon.

They went down a partially collapsed flight of stairs and entered a round room where they encountered a group of slimes. These festering bodies of jelly were inevitable encounters in subterranean dungeons and they were quickly disposed of. To the south there was a small room with a treasure chest and from that room a small passage lead to the hole in the collapsed stairway. In the northernmost part of the room there was a small receptacle indicating that there was more to the adorned square piece of rock next to the receptacle.

The party followed the corridor to the west of the room and soon found themselves in a room with a pool of water. Low murmurs indicated they were not alone. They entered the room to the west and found the crypt keeper Rethpian, who, in his solitude, had grown a habit of talking to himself. They talked with Rethpian about the inhabitants of the crypt, and the missing key and crystal. The warlock gave Bilbump’s rat pie to Rethpian who swallowed the pie whole in a fit of gluttony. With his eyes twinkling from the tickling of his nostrils and taste buds the crypt keeper told the warlock of the glorious taste of rats. He also gave her his favourite rat recipies. He particularly favoured pies garnished with deep-fried rat hairs. He also told her of a secret room. Thus ended the quest given by Bilbump. The party still had four more quests to complete. Two of which they had not even received yet.

Meanwhile the others explored the rooms to the east and the south of the room with the pool of water. In a chest in the room to the south the barbarian discovered Rethpian’s bauble stick. The party gathered in the room with the pool of water. Diving into the pool of water the barbarian found two underwater paths leading to a corridor behind Rethpian’s room. Both paths were barred by closed grates. The barbarian knew from legendary Radek’s experiments recorded in the Tome of Legends that by placing one self in front of the right grate and casting a vanish spell one would in nine out of ten cases wind up on the other side of the grate. this could be particularly useful if wanting to complete the dungeon in a hurry. The party was not in a hurry and so they chose the ordinary approach. Just beyond the grate lay a crystal and a key. Unable to reach either the barbarian reached out the bauble stick, and soon the crystal attached itself to the stick.

The party went back to the round room with the receptacle and placed the crystal in the receptacle. The adorned rock turned out to be part of an elevator that was now activated. They took the elevator to the room of F’Lokis Ra. The mummy was soon incinerated and the locket he dropped was taken by the valkyrie. Remembering Rethpian’s tale of a secret room the warlock pressed the elevator button and let the elevator descend. The party then jumped onto the roof of the elevator and were soon taken up to the secret room, where they found the Ring of Saints. They went down a corridor and through a part of the wall which slided away and formed an entrance to the statue room in which they had been earlier.

They remembered the first time they had been here some years ago. It had been a while before they had appreciated the hint inscribed on the locket taken from F’Lokis Ra. This was the first time they had had to write words to say in a discussion instead of picking them from the talk menu. They said “Blessed Be Kerah” to the statue who opened the portcullis for them. The party walked through the entrance with the barbarian lingering a little behind examining the bauble stick, wondering why it had been able to attract the crystal.


NPCs encountered:

Rethpian reacts to following words:

Stout, Brother, Crypt, Bilbump, Stout Mine, Rethpian, Rat Pie, Stout Mines, Algamesh, Rats, Keys, Crystal, Bauble Stick, Nivius, Asylum, Sick Ones, F’Lokis Ra, Cet, Kerah, Mines, Pharaoh, Mud Man, Mummy.

The Statue of Kerah reacts to following words:

Sanctus Kerah, Blessed Be Kerah.

Both of which will trigger the statue’s opening the gate.

Secret rooms encountered:

The room above F’Lokis Ra’s room. (Room G on the map to which I have linked above). How to gain access: From F'Lokis Ra's room (room F): Ride on the roof of the elevator to the secret room.

[whiteknight]

rooms,rooms everywhere but not a stack to be found....another good one..like every good soap or book there needs to be the inbetween bits that make a cool story.....game on bsftcs

whiteknight

[Bungleau]

More nice stuff... and I admit I had to click to see what I might have said

Great info, and nice thought to add the links back.

[Wyvern]

Another great chapter!!!!

Let's all play:

"THEY WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!!!"

Bungleau's it!

Wyv

[Radek]

Another nice story [img]smile.gif[/img] I would like to add two things (because the story is rather a lecture notes, I would like to contribute with my experience. I am not about to "correct" you or do somtehing like that):

1. The statue will not react to anything (more precisely, it will not open the grate) until you have Golden Talis in your inventory. Bypassing Flokis Ra, going to the statue directly, and telling it "Sanctus Kerah" does not work.
2. The elevator in the Repthian's Area isn't good. It often stops between floors and traps you in itself. Usually, the only remedy is a restart. This can happen both when you go to Flokis Ra and when you go to the room above. Therefore, always save the game before you use this elevator!