[Let's Play] Sorcery Warrior 2 - Kharé, Cityport of Traps

[JourneymanN00b]

If there are no other votes, make mine a half one to resolve the tie.

[Beroli]

Jason Beckett Mordred Attack Strength: 16, First HARPIE Attack Strength: 9. Luck Test Succeeded with a 9. First HARPIE's Stamina is 2 BEGGAR Attack Strength: 5, Second HARPIE Attack Strength: 15. BEGGAR's Stamina is 6
Jason Beckett Mordred Attack Strength: 16, First HARPIE Attack Strength: 17. Luck Test Succeeded with a 11. Jason Beckett Mordred's Stamina is 18 BEGGAR Attack Strength: 13, Second HARPIE Attack Strength: 17. BEGGAR's Stamina is 4
Jason Beckett Mordred Attack Strength: 17, First HARPIE Attack Strength: 13. First HARPIE is dead. BEGGAR Attack Strength: 13, Second HARPIE Attack Strength: 18. BEGGAR's Stamina is 2
Jason Beckett Mordred Attack Strength: 21, HARPIE Attack Strength: 17. Luck Test Succeeded with a 10. HARPIE's Stamina is 2
Jason Beckett Mordred Attack Strength: 13, HARPIE Attack Strength: 11. HARPIE is dead.

Close.

The beggar is still alive.

'Stranger, I cannot thank you enough,' says the beggar. 'Ever since I was cursed with my sightless eyes I have been tormented by those wicked demons.' You talk to him a little longer while you recover your breath. 'My story is a sad one of fortune to poverty,' he tells you. 'Three years ago I was the Seventh Noble of Kharé until the black-eyed curse befell me...' You stop him and ask whether he knows anything of the North Gate spell. 'Aye, that I do,' he continues, 'for I was entrusted with one of its lines. If your plan is to leave the cityport that way, perhaps this will help you. My memory is fading but I believe the line was: "By Courga's grace, and..." He hesitates. 'And someone's pride. Damn! Whose pride was it? One of the gods. "By Courga's grace and someone's pride." I'm sorry stranger. My memory fails me. I cannot remember which of the gods it was. Perhaps you will find out in Courga's temple, a little further down the road. There you may talk with the God of Grace. But if you do, you risk your life! I can give you one clue: the left eye leads the way. More than that I cannot tell.' You thank him and prepare to leave. Before you go, he says: 'If you are heading out into the Baklands, perhaps this will help. It has been my prized possession for many years, but now I feel I will never use it-–I will never leave Kharé-–and it will undoubtedly help you on your journey.' He gives you a ring of silver, fashioned as a serpent which coils round your finger. He believes it is a talisman which will protect you from serpents. This ring is undoubtedly a valuable item. You thank him and collect your belongings, setting off down the road.

You follow the road towards the North Gate. You are now leaving Kharé proper and you can see the Great Wall stretching across your path in the distance. One building remains between you and the gate and this looks to be a place of some magnificence. You continue and find that it is a large temple, standing off the road. It is indeed a sight to behold. Totems of the ancient gods line the short path to the temple doors. The building itself is pyramidal, reaching high into the sky. Friezes of gargoyles and sculptures in polished metals ring the temple at each level. Around the doorway, rock-sculptured images of unimaginable creatures seem to guard the entrance.

Enter the Shrine of Courga?
Walk past it toward the North Gate?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 4 Meals
Gold Pieces: 6
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and ________ pride
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to enter the shrine.

[Thaluikhain]

Enter the shrine

[Queen of Swords]

Enter.

[Beroli]

You try the door at the entrance and it swings open, creaking on its hinges. This sound is amplified by the hollow temple inside and it echoes eerily for several moments. Cautiously, you peer inside. The place seems to be deserted; you can hear no signs of activity. Stepping into the shrine and closing the door behind you, the sight that greets your eyes takes your breath away.

The walls are decorated with brightly colored murals depicting scenes from the religious mythology of Kharé. Fine ornaments in precious metals are set in alcoves around the pews, and rich, woven tapestries cover every surface. A cunning trick of architecture catches the wind and an ethereal humming is a constant background noise. Four large stone gargoyles of winged demons watch over the shrine from their mounts high in the eaves and at the far end of the room is the focal point of the temple: the altar.

Steps leading up to the alter seems to have been designed to emphasize the centrepiece of the shrine-–a large golden idol fashioned in Courga's image.

Make sure there is no one about?
Check the shrine for traps?
See if you can find anything precious worth stealing?
Investigate the idol?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 4 Meals
Gold Pieces: 6
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and ________ pride
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

[Thaluikhain]

Investigate.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to investigate the idol.

[Queen of Swords]

Investigate the idol.

[Beroli]

You step up to the idol. It stands about man-sized before you and an engraved plaque above its head catches your attention. You read it. It seems to be a message which will allow you to talk to the god.

Try?
Leave the temple?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 4 Meals
Gold Pieces: 6
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and ________ pride
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to try.

[Thaluikhain]

Try.

[Beroli]

As the message suggests, you must kiss the idol's face. Where will you kiss first?

Forehead?
Right eye?
Left eye?
Right cheek?
Left cheek?
Nose?
Lips?

Feel free to vote more than one step in advance; the message suggests the last step is to kiss the lips.
Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 4 Meals
Gold Pieces: 6
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and ________ pride
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

[JourneymanN00b]

The beggar’s hint says to start on the left eye, and the sign says to kiss in a cross shape and end on the lips.

I vote to kiss the left eye, right eye, forehead, and the lips in that order.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense.

[Beroli]

As you kiss the lips, the idol's eyes flick open. Its lips do not move, but a soft voice comes from its mouth. 'Stranger, you are not of my faith,' whispers the god. 'Nevertheless, you have completed the ritual and I will answer you one question.' What will you ask the god?

Who has knowledge of the spell necessary to open the North Gate?
What will fate have in store for you in the Baklands?
What is the name of the god of pride?
How may you best avoid the guards on the North Gate?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 4 Meals
Gold Pieces: 6
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and ________ pride
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to ask for the name of the god of pride in order to get the final clue for the spell.

[Beroli]

You listen at the idol's mouth as it replies to your question. 'The God of Pride is my own brother. He is called Fourga, although he has fallen from favour with our circle of deities and has not been worshipped by the people of Kharé for close on a century.' Is this information useful to you? You may now leave the temple.

You leave the temple and head on. The large North Gate looms up in front of you. The gate is heavily guarded and you will have to make plans for dealing with the guards.

In front of the gate, the city guards are patrolling in threes. You stop at a tree and pick your moment to approach. When only one group of three stands between you and the North Gate, you step out towards them. They look at you scornfully. 'The gate is closed, simpleton,' says the tallest of the three. 'So turn around and head back into town.' You dare not fight them, as their comrades will soon be back.

All you can think of is to offer them a bribe.

Offer them 1 Gold each?
Offer them 3 Gold each?
Offer them 5 Gold each?

You can only offer them 1 Gold each.

They scoff at your meagre offering. 'Are we being offered a bribe, brothers, or is this traveller merely tossing us a beggar's alms?' asks the leader. He snatches your three coins and flips one each to the other two. 'If we are to look the other way for you,' he snarls, 'you had better make it worth our while. Give us another 5 Gold Pieces each!'

You cannot comply with his demand, nor can you cast a spell. The book ends here due to sloppy writing (you really should be able to call on Libra to deal with the guards, and for that matter the inn guillotine).

Rewinding, but rather than replay all the events since the market, I'll just assume you buy one fewer Meal there and otherwise the events are the same.

[Beroli]

You offer them 3 Gold Pieces each.

They look at each other, trying to decide whether they could get any more Gold out of you. 'All right, traveller,' says the tall one, 'but whatever you want to do, make it quick.' They take your offering and wander off away from the gate. You now have a short time in which to step up to the gate and try to open it.

You step up to the dark North Gate of Kharé. A few yards from the gate you stop dead as a phantom voice speaks to you. 'Halt, stranger!' booms the voice. You look around but no one is near. It is the gate itself which is speaking to you! 'You may not pass through this gate, for it is wizard-locked. If you do not know the unlocking spell, your next step forward will mean your instant death!'

You recite:

So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and Fourga's pride

With bated breath, you wait to see whether you have recited the spell correctly. You hear a creaking sound, which gets louder. Suspecting a trap, you look round, but there is nothing to fear: instead a crack of light appears down the centre of the gate! You have succeeded in opening the gate and this part of your journey is almost over!

Slowly the gate opens in front of you. You have overcome the dangers of the deadly cityport and your journey is half over. Through the gate you can see the vast expanse of the Baklands laid before you. The great plains of Baddu-Bak are the next stage of your mission and your experience so far will be invaluable in guiding you through to Lake Ilklala.

You remember the words of the Sightmaster Sergeant as you left the Outpost Settlement: 'From Kharé you must cross the Baklands, which are unknown. It is said that day and night in the Baklands are controlled not by the sun but by supernatural forces...from Kharé onwards your progress will be watched.'

The chinking of armor behind you snaps you out of your thoughts; the guards must be returning. Casting a final glance back at the city, you step through the gate. Ahead of you, dark clouds are heavy in the sky. You are now in the Baklands...

...and my ability to start a new thread is currently curtailed by a persistent forum bug. If it doesn't get fixed quickly I'll continue the thread here, but I would prefer not to, so the new thread won't be going up immediately.


Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of 6 silver arrows, tinderbox, Serpent Ring, 3 Meals
Gold Pieces: 0
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
Deaths: Unable to reach the North Gate of Kharé

[JourneymanN00b]

Sigh, it is a pity that sloppy writing caused our hero to die in the end and ruin a flawless victory. Hope Jason has a decent chance on winning book 3.

And I hope the forum bugs, as well as the spam gets dealt with soon.

[Dogopolis]

So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and Fourga's pride

Surely:

So tumblers two sealed deep inside
One lock made out of Golem's hide
By Courga's grace, and Fourga's pride
I bid you, portals, open wide

Doesn't affect the numerical order but scans better.

[Beroli]

That may be, but it's not the order you learn them, and you do need to recite the lines in the order you learn them as if you switch around any line but the one with no number, then the gate kills you.

[Dogopolis]

Yeah, I think Jackson made a mistake there. He set up the spell to have only one logical reading, but then put the 3 lines with numbers in the same order as they were received so people who don't actually think about it get through with just the order they wrote them down, even though the gate should fry them due to the unnumbered line being out of order. He should have mixed the numbered lines up.

[Beroli]

And the new thread is up.