Stackman's Adventures (Prologue)

[bsftcs]

The Myths of the Gael Serran

Being the prologue of Stackman’s adventures

In which a lot of general information is given


The purpose:

The purpose of the tale of Stackman’s adventures is to collect hints and cheats and other information regarding places, characters, and events in Wizards and Warriors and amass them in coherence with the progress of the game. I will also conduct some new experiments along the way and include them in the story. Stackman´s Adventures will thus be a heavily spoilish affair. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Areas of focus:

In the course of the story I will be refering to the maps at http://www.volberding.com/WHints/MasterMap/worldMap.htm and http://www.volberding.com/WHints/MapSet/maps.htm .I will be paying quite some attention to hidden rooms in dungeons. Especially those that do not contain quest items and such and are therefore easily overlooked. I know I have overlooked a lot of them many times. And even the maps to which I refer do not display all of them!!!
I will also be listing all the words that (to my knowledge) can be said to each friendly NPC since not all of them show up on the first play-through of the game. (It should be noted that not all words will trigger a response from the NPC other than the usual ”I do not know what you are talking about”, etc. even though they appear in the talk menu).
Futhermore I will be refering to hints given by town governors and barkeepers, since some hints are triggered by certain events, and one therefore cannot be sure to have read all, and since they often give good advice. (I had no idea about the room underneath the boat house, until the barkeeper adviced me of its existence).

The background:

I play the unpatched version of the game. I use a party of six (my usual party) to complete the game. I will not pay much attention to details concerning the party characters such as the effects of traits, negative/positive influences, armour, skills, etc. The building and developing of characters is very complex and a very individual matter. (And furthermore Radek has already conducted most relevant experiments related to those issues ). My party members each have 24 in each stat (although it can be raised much further with the help of hacking programs + the Idol of Bongu can raise the fortitude stat above 24). Most of their skills are at level 12, and those that are not will soon be. I will train the characters after each level up, but this is of no concern to the adventures. Furthermore they are well equiped with armour and protection again magic, cold, poison, etc.
The party members all do the guild hopping trick (undertaking a role ascension quest in the guild(s) they are eligible to join from the start of the game, joining the additional guild(s) the new role would allow them to join, going back and cancelling the role ascension quest (by clicking on the icon for the new role and choosing ”yes” for cancelling)). Thus all party members are member of all guilds.
When the first quest in a guild is completed my characters will do the switching trick (switching among all the players six times each before the guildmaster finishes his speech (NOTE: This will be pointless with the quests in the Valeia guilds that do not result in a promotion)). Thus all party members will quickly be level 7 guild members which will allow them to train the more important skills earlier.

The party:

The party consists of the following people: 1) a level 22 female human valkyrie. (original development: warrior – paladin – valkyrie). 2) a level 33 male dwarven barbarian. (original development: warrior – barbarian). 3) a level 21 male human assassin. (original development: warrior – ninja – assassin). 4) a level 34 female elven warlock. (original development: wizard – warlock). 5) a level 21 male human zenmaster. (original development: priest – monk – zenmaster). 6) a level 33 male human bard. (original development: rogue – bard).
The characters do have names. All of which have an ambiguous and funny meaning. But alas only in Danish. I shall therefore refer to them by their roles.

The story unfolds:

Down the hill strolled briskly the young valkyrie. This was not the first time she had been summoned by the village elder Gareth, and she knew exactly what he had to say: ”The taloned fist of the dragon, the Mavin Sword, Nivius, etc.”. But he had a pleasant voice and it was an inevitable part of each new adventure – having to listen to his speech. Furthermore he always made an awfully nice coffee, so really she did not mind having to meet him.

The young woman had been here before many times. A native of the village Valeia she had known Gareth since the time when she was a little girl. She was exceptionally bright and adept at swordplay, and thus it had been no real surprise when Gareth had chosen her to lead a party of five other people. Some of which had been twice her elder. She still remembered that day, many years ago when they had been sent out to retrieve the Mavin. And the agony of the day when she first learned of Gareth’s death. Sir Elgar’s eyes had been filled with tears as he told her the dreadful news.

Ah, but that was many years ago. When she and her party had retrieved the Mavin and dispersed the hordes of evil an ancient artefact of the oldest and most vague myths of the Gael Serran had appeared in Valeia. It did not look like something special, but it was the fabled and most powerful ”reset adventure” button. The button had now been kept for many years in the town hall, and it was that which had brought the village elder back to life several times now.

Songs of the perils of the far away Shurugeon Castle and of the beauty of the fabled lake nymphs resounded through the wooden buildins of Valeia as the bard stroke a couple of chords on his lute and let his clear mellow voice vibrate with the words of a newly composed song. With his small body and nimble fingers he was made for the art of thievery. Even the most difficult lock was clay in his hands.

The valkyrie’s second in command, an old dwarven barbarian, who, in spite of his role, was the first party member to have learned the ancient lore of the Gael Serran, and whose skill at forging kept the party’s equipment in one piece, strode down the road towards the town square.

With him was a tall and slender ZenMaster in his specially crafted Kimono of the Dragon. With his knowledge of all spells and his level 14 enchanting and blessing skills, it had been he who had bestowed all the needed protections etc. upon the party’s equipment. A formidable warrior with any weapon he chose to fight with his fists and feet. Wearing little other armour than his kimono he was comfortable with the fact that he was able to kill anything before it inflicted any real damage to him. He did not need even the enormous amount of hitpoints that the little barbarian dwarf by his side had. Neither did he have to bemoan the fact that his spirit shield trait did not work because the game, of which he was part, was unpatched.

Out from the magic shoppe came a slender elf. She was taught in the art of magic, and a powerful warlock was she. She had been the one to cover the party in unpleasant situations with her attack spells which were potent and abundant. In her backpack she carried and artefact almost as powerful and just as useful as the ”reset adventure” button. It was the fabled Tome of Legends. Everyone knew of other great adventurers of the Gael Serran such as Tia and Missy Hissy. Some had even met them. But this tome contained vital information on the deities behind them and the thoughts they had had about the fabric of life itself in the Gael Serran. Every child knew of the fabled benign deities like Wyvern, Sazerac, Bungleau, Radek, WillowIX and the countless of other heroes and semi-gods. Everyone spoke of the mythological Gael Serran counterpart to the Norse Valhalla: The place where the great heroes and deities were assembled. It was a place carrying the awe-inspiring name of ”THE IRONWORKS FORUM”. Everyone knew this was where only the best were summoned when life was at an end. Only the best got to be with the gods. Nobody knew the whereabouts of the Forum, but the scholars all agreed it had to lie beyond the Endless Sea. Ah, to be there, to meet the gods of the legends. That was what every little boy and girl in the Gael Serran dreamt of.

The Tome of Legends was no standard paperback. It was a bulky book in a lavish bind. But more importantly: It contained the thoughts of the gods of the Ironworks Forum – the fabled Best Tips.

The five adventurers gathered by a table outside the town hall. They should be six, but the five present really did not wonder as to the whereabouts of their last companion. Being an assassin and former ninja the missing young human warrior was usually cloaked in shadows. They could travel for many hours without so much as catching a glimpse of him. He usually only turned up when dinner was served, and mysteriously vanished again before the dishes were done. When the party was not out on adventure virtually no one saw him. Sometimes even his mother wondered if he had ever been born. So for all the five knew he could be somewhere overhearing all they said.

They sat down and began to drink Gareth’s famous coffee. But where was Gareth? It was not like him to summon the adventurers and not showing up himself. Suspicion was quickly cast aside when the bard noticed that the lute he was playing was the lute of tranquility. They went inside the town hall and sure enough: there lay Gareth sleeping soundly from the sleep spells emanating from the lute.

”You all know why you have been summoned”, Gareth said suppressing a yawn. ”The Reset Adventure button”, (he pointed at a small reliquary in a showcase), ”has been pressed”. ”You have to go find the Mavin again, and do whatever it is you do afterwards”. He blushed slightly, embarrased as he was that he did not know what came afterwards since his always returning dream did not tell him and since he always died before knowing. ”Oh the killing of the evil pharaoh Cet Ude D’ua Khan – sure no problem”, said the valkyrie. She was prepared to lead her party.

Gareth told of his dream like he used to and then offered the adventurers a home-cooked meal before leaving. They accepted the invitation and suddenly, in their midst, decloaked the last party member, the assassin. His nostrils had too long been tickled by the scent of the prepared meal.

They dined well and were not at all sombre by the prospects of the perils ahead as they had been on their first adventure some years ago. Now they knew exactly what would happen. And they were well prepared.

Gareth waved them goodbye, and they were on their own. One last thing remained before the adventure could commence. According to Gael Serran mythology a party was allowed to pick a tutelary patron from the Forum before setting out on an adventure of an epic scale. There were many great patrons to choose from. But they chose a relatively new member of the Forum. The one that had helped them on their other adventures. The fabled Stackman. The light of his spirit shone upon them. They were ready to go.

[Wyvern]

YAY!!!!!!

Oh this is going to be GOOD!!!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Without a doubt, we must have a record going here for the number and variety of stories written about a game! Good one, bsftcs!!!!

Wyv

[Bungleau]

Wowsa! I'm looking forward to this, let me tell you!

Awaiting the next episode [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]