For example, if Evie built a cloning machine, she could create a whole new elven race using her own DNA cobbled together Jurassic Park-style with DNA taken from other sources. So, the new elves would be a bit more genetically diverse and not just clones. Hopefully, that would result in some amusing dialogue:
I was about to comment to the tune of "Hey, if you can't fix it, rebuild it; Gods have nothing but time anyway", but thought better of it. It'd be like telling someone who lost a family to just find themselves a new one. It's not a pair of socks that you can replace without a second thought.
Still, all the power to Evie if she wants to do it. Although, why would DNA matter at that point? The cultural heritage is probably more important, and any race that adopts the values of the elves would probably be more elf-like than the diminished people we saw in the Hive of Memories.
I was about to comment to the tune of "Hey, if you can't fix it, rebuild it; Gods have nothing but time anyway", but thought better of it. It'd be like telling someone who lost a family to just find themselves a new one. It's not a pair of socks that you can replace without a second thought.
Over the years, Evie has tried just about everything in her efforts to save her people. She's been forced to compromise and lower her expectations time after time because the Chronarchs keep smashing her attempts to rebuild. She's already accepted that there's no way to bring the elven race back exactly as they were.
Still, all the power to Evie if she wants to do it. Although, why would DNA matter at that point? The cultural heritage is probably more important, and any race that adopts the values of the elves would probably be more elf-like than the diminished people we saw in the Hive of Memories.
It's defiance. It's a way of sticking two fingers up at the Chronarchs by preserving as much of the elven race as still exists. (Evie is the last of the elves, but if she manages to pass on her DNA, however she does it, the elven race continues.)
[x] Confront Valathar about something.
-[x] Hey, what is the spear for?
inb4 he answers "to amplify psionics". But really, why does he think we'd need to amplify psionics? Is there some specific purpose we should use it for?
Again, thank you for your detailed commentary on what you've read so far, KenKazaki2. I'm curious as to what you'll think/how you'll feel about how this quest develops later on.
[X] Confront Valathar about something.
-[X] Is it impossible for him to tell Evie about certain things, or anyone who would care to ask?
[X] If he indicates that he can answer some questions to us he wouldn't be able to if it's Evie asking:
-[X] Make sure you're out of her earshot
-[X] If she becomes a goddess, is there any way at all for her to restore her people?
-[X] What's the spear really for? Admit that Evie with even more psychic makes you feel giddy and nervous. And not even in a fun way. Not completely in a fun way, and besides, you think that's at least partly her vastly increased psychic powers testing your mental barriers.
Bonus points if the spear remains inactivated by the time of this discussion and it's really just Frida
Sorry to make the vote so late, but you didn't lock it, sooo
[X] Confront Valathar about something.
-[X] Is it impossible for him to tell Evie about certain things, or anyone who would care to ask?
[X] If he indicates that he can answer some questions to us he wouldn't be able to if it's Evie asking:
-[X] Make sure you're out of her earshot
-[X] If she becomes a goddess, is there any way at all for her to restore her people?
-[X] What's the spear really for? Admit that Evie with even more psychic makes you feel giddy and nervous. And not even in a fun way. Not completely in a fun way, and besides, you think that's at least partly her vastly increased psychic powers testing your mental barriers.
Heh, you don't need to comment on every single thing, if you can ever pull yourself away from the siren song of Puella Magica quests on this site. I'm just happy to know that people are still reading my work.
'Well, then… I suppose this is goodbye. Good luck with everything,' Valathar says gruffly. 'Remember what I said to you. You're not alone, will never be alone. We love you. Remember that.' He starts to turn away. 'Farewell.'
'I have to ask,' you say, interjecting before he can exit. 'What's the spear for?'
Valathar turns his impassive gaze on you. 'A multiplicity of reasons. For instance, my spear, Glad-of-War, has a thirst for blood. These days, there's little I can do to slake it. Better that I pass it on to someone else, someone I trust, who'll make good use of it.'
You pause, feeling uncertain. A few seconds pass before you speak again: 'I can't tell if you're joking or not. What are the other reasons?'
'Imbued with my power, Glad-of-War is a mighty weapon. It will pierce any barrier, shatter any shield, and penetrate even the strongest defence. Use it against your greatest enemies.' He gives Evarvae a slow nod. 'As I said before, it has a built-in psi-amplifier. By channelling your psionic powers through it, you can make them stronger, more focused, and more precise.'
'So… it only works when she's actively channelling her powers through it?' you surmise. 'That's good to know.'
'Indeed.'
'Were there any other reasons in your "multiplicity"?' asks Evarvae, a teasing note in her voice.
Gazing into her eyes, Valathar says, 'You have far too few mementos of your friends and family.' He indicates the ornate spear she's holding. 'It's not a typical keepsake, but it's something.'
'That's sweet,' you say. 'Uh… can I ask you some questions, in private?'
'Privacy? In this place? There's no such thing. Walls have eyes and ears. Perhaps literally,' says Valathar, glancing around with exaggerated mock-suspicion. 'This city… this city of lies…' He hesitates. It looks like he's mulling over what he's going to say next. 'There are games within games, plans within plans, lies within lies. Everyone you meet has an ulterior motive. Everyone is manipulating you, somehow.'
You frown at him. 'Including you?'
'Especially me,' he replies.
'Again, I can't tell if you're being serious or not,' you mutter.
'Rest assured, I have your best interests at heart. Even if I'm manipulating you.'
'That's very reassuring. Wait, just answer me one thing: if Evie becomes a goddess, is there any way at all for her to restore her people?'
Valathar's scarred face shows no sign of emotion. 'What do you think?' he asks.
'Um…' You're not sure how to answer that question. It confuses you. Which is probably what Valathar intended when he asked you. By the time you snap out of your distraction, he's already gone. You look around, but he's nowhere to be seen.
'Where did he go?' you ask.
'HE JUST DISAPPEARED,' Glitch helpfully informs you.
'Does anyone want to help me decode that whole encounter? I feel like Valathar was hinting a lot more than he was saying. Was he just being cryptic for the sake of it, or…?'
'Actually, that was unusual behaviour,' Evie admits. 'The Valathar I knew was very plain-spoken. By elven standards, at least.'
'YES, BUT THAT WASN'T THE VALATHAR YOU KNEW, WAS IT? I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE POINT.'
'There's no reason why a version of Valathar from another universe should be exactly like the man you used to know,' says Al-Khidr, scratching the back of his neck. 'Yet he was. Is that significant, somehow?'
'If he'd been very different, I wouldn't have recognised him. And he wouldn't have recognised me,' says Evie. 'And then our "tearful reunion" would have been meaningless, like a meeting between two strangers.'
You heave a frustrated sigh. 'Right… well, what do we do next?'
'Congratulations. You've completed all the challenges I had ready for you,' says the familiar voice of the Maze Master, coming from seemingly everywhere at once. 'I'll give you a reward like last time, but if you want the real prize for completing the Maze, there's one last thing you must do.'
You feel a rush of insight, as if a part of your brain that processes your memories and experiences has suddenly been unlocked. The world around you seems crisper, sharper, and more solid than it did before. With instinctive certainty, you know what you must do next. 'We've got to find the centre, right?'
'Yes. Good guess.'
'Seemed logical,' you say with a nod. 'All right, people, let's get to it.'
This time, you get 20xp for completing all the Maze challenges.
What do you want to spend it on?
[] Increase Insight to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Strength to 4 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Agility to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Durability to 4 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Charisma to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Willpower to 6 – costs 10xp
[] Increase Close Combat to 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Ranged Combat 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Stealth to 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Musician to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Social Skills to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Mechanics to 5 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Mastery of Sound to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Telekinesis to 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Mental Defence to 3 – costs 2xp
After you leave the Hall of Mirrors, it doesn't take you very long to find the centre of the Maze. Hardly any time at all, in fact. You just walk down the corridor, take a left, and there it is. It's much bigger than you expected it to be. Actually, this place seems much too large for the Maze to contain, so there must be some dimension-warping shenanigans going on. Bigger on the inside.
Ugh, even while I'm narrating this in my head, this all seems like setup for a bad "that's what she said" joke, you think to yourself.
It's a flat, featureless plain, large enough that you could pack several football pitches into it and still have space left over, surrounded on all sides by rough stone walls that stretch up to a high cavern ceiling. The floor is covered in layers of soft grey dust, so fine that you feel yourself sinking deeper into it with every step you take. In the centre of the plain, there is an archway on a raised stone platform with steps leading up to it. The light through the archway is kinda weird and distorted, so you can't tell if you're looking through to the other side of the plane or if it's a gateway to another dimension.
Lying on the steps, there's a mouldering skeleton half-dressed in mismatched rags. You hear a sharp intake of breath from Al-Khidr. It seems like he recognises the dead man, somehow. 'Vikentiy?' he murmurs, stooping to examine the dead body.
'He told me his name was Vicente,' says Evie questioningly.
'He introduced himself to me as "Old Vince",' says Garrar.
'I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.'
'A member of the Time Travellers' Society. We thought he'd been killed by Lothangrim's undead minions,' explains Al-Khidr. He points to where the bones have been cracked and broken, seemingly rent asunder by sharp claws. 'We were right, it seems.'
What will you do?
[] Investigate the archway.
[] Investigate the corpse of 'Vikentiy'.
[] Ask your friends, "How did the body end up here?"
-[] "Wait, what's that buzzing noise?"
[] Ask the Master of the Maze, "So, what's with the archway? What's the reward?"
[] Do something else (write in).
EDIT: Nothing to see here, just rolling some dice for my Pillars of Eternity LP...
So, like, a smoldering skeleton somewhat discourages me to continue walking
I mean, either he's super baked by some trap
Or
He's taking a nap and I wouldn't want to interrupt
Eh, I'll sleep on it
Will vote a little later
I wonder if Glitch is trying to preserve his unique identity by making sure we don't touch any other robot with a repair tool, or psyching us up for the inevitable confrontation with the Ticktockmen.
I honestly can't see him manipulating us in any other way; his attitude towards meatbags feels very genuine.
'Did there used to be other time travellers here? What happened to them? Did they die?'
'Some of them did. Fillip died when Lothangrim destroyed the Buried Village. Baldanders disappeared. Vikentiy was ripped apart by monsters... or perhaps not. He had a most unusual method of time travel. It wasn't under his control, but... it's possible that desperation gave him the strength or the impetus he needed to break free. Certainly, we never found the body. Not even a fragment.'
This time, you get 20xp for completing all the Maze challenges.
What do you want to spend it on?
[] Increase Insight to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Strength to 4 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Agility to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Durability to 4 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Charisma to 5 – costs 7xp
[] Increase Willpower to 6 – costs 10xp
[] Increase Close Combat to 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Ranged Combat 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Stealth to 4 – costs 4xp
[] Increase Musician to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Social Skills to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Mechanics to 5 – costs 5xp
[] Increase Mastery of Sound to 6 – costs 6xp
[] Increase Telekinesis to 4 – costs 4xp
I wanted to save it for later and have no objections for the current vote. But I can't figure out whether it's because everything's okay or I'm just lazy.
About saving it for later: I kinda dunno what powers Frida needs a boost for now, if any.
So, 20 xp sounds like a comfortable supply to spend us needed, if that makes sense?
[] Learn mental defence techniques from Al-Khidr. (Each level of Mental Defence costs 2xp. This is not increase at higher levels. One level costs 2xp, a second level costs another 2xp, and so on. Currently, you have a total of 5xp you could spend if you wish. Even one level of mental defence would be enough to shield you from Evie's influence; she's really not doing it on purpose.)
Found this from the ad and read in basically one sitting. Excited to join and see this through to the end. I know this is supposed to be a JRPG, but I can't help thinking of this as the perfect setting and plot for a point-and-clock adventure published by Wadjet Eye Games. Glitch would be voiced by Abe Goldfarb, they'd get maybe Miranda Gauvin for Evie, Dave Goldberg would probably voice Cripple Lin himself...
Thank you. I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far. (I know, if you're "excited" then it's probably because you like it, but I don't like to presume.)
That's fair. Yes, I used to call it a "JRPG quest", but I've drawn inspiration from lots of different sources, most of which aren't JRPGs, so it's hardly surprising if it reminds you of something else.
I can't help thinking of this as the perfect setting and plot for a point-and-clock adventure published by Wadjet Eye Games. Glitch would be voiced by Abe Goldfarb, they'd get maybe Miranda Gauvin for Evie, Dave Goldberg would probably voice Cripple Lin himself...
I've never played anything by Wadjet Eye Games. I learned to dislike point-and-click adventure games due to some bad experiences with the Discworld games when I was probably too young to understand them. The phrase "that doesn't work" still haunts my dreams.
Still, it might be interesting...
I was unfamiliar with the voice actors you mentioned, so I Googled them. I found a few clips of Abe Goldfarb's previous work. He seems to have a good range, but I'm not sure if there's a specific reason why you think he'd be a good fit for Glitch. I couldn't find many examples of Miranda Gauvin's work, except for a webcartoon in which she plays a ditzy alien girl named Lin'zee Starshine. Hmm. I don't think I've heard enough that I can venture an opinion.
Anyway, I'm going to update sometime this weekend. See you then!
I found a few clips of Abe Goldfarb's previous work. He seems to have a good range, but I'm not sure if there's a specific reason why you think he'd be a good fit for Glitch. I couldn't find many examples of Miranda Gauvin's work, except for a webcartoon in which she plays a ditzy alien girl named Lin'zee Starshine. Hmm. I don't think I've heard enough that I can venture an opinion.
