Opening
Yalunzar
mitchell
It's quite the honour
to be invited to-
the cannibal
Cut the pleasantries.
mitchell
...
the cannibal
This must be serious business for you
to invite us here on such a short notice.
guildmaster
Curt as always. Yes, this is important.
House Heron's fleet will arrive in one week
to relieve the Crescent of all conflicts.
oily oates
A week? A WEEK? And you
got this information just now?
guildmaster
Watch your tone, boy. They wished to
catch us off guard as well as our rivals.
They don't want to give us any time
to make uncooperative ploys.
the cannibal
But there was no sign of any problem in
our working relationship with House Heron.
guildmaster
There is a myriad of possibilities.
Perhaps they felt we were too weak to
hold the Crescent due to the last war.
Perhaps they felt we took too much as
the middleman. The conclusion is the same,
House Heron's banners will fly across
the whole Crescent. Yalunzar included.
bloodbane
We, the Guild, broke our backs laying the
foundations, facing countless monsters, all to build this city from nothing. And they
expect us to hand this all over to them?
I won't stand for this!
the cannibal
Then you can take a seat.
To take such a bold move means
they are already assured of victory.
guildmaster
The Cannibal is quite right. You were
not born on the Mainland, Bloodbane.
You have not witnessed the strength
of the greatest noble Houses.
Even a fraction of their full strength can
burn half the Crescent to the ground.
bloodbane
But to give it all up without a fight?
My blood boils at the thought.
oily oates
Guildmaster, what are we to do?
There is only a week left! What
can we do? Secure our holdings?
the cannibal
Doing away with the pointless posturing,
what does House Heron request of us?
guildmaster
Prepare suitable habitation and
resources for their forces,
cooperate fully in putting
down any resistance,
and pray we retain important
positions within their hierarchy.
bloodbane
Accursed avaricious parasites!
oily oates
...
guildmaster
It may seem like we've been dealt a bad
hand, but let us think of the alternative.
Irinde may appear to be allied with us,
but we know that is mere pretense.
All of the settlements wish to eventually
remove our chokehold on the Crescent.
While House Heron may take control away
from us, our competitors will be destroyed.
oily oates
But Yalunzar is ours! Could we not unite
with the Crescent and push them out?
guildmaster
Foolishness, Oily Oates.
Even if we emerge victorious, they are the only reason we
can maintain a trade monopoly.
the cannibal
They'd never cooperate with us,
given our ties to House Heron.
Once news of this invasion leaks, we'll
be the target of the whole Crescent.
We must prepare for a bloody reprisal
as nobles care little for our wellbeing.
bloodbane
Then let them come! I will bury them
below the walls of our beautiful city.
oily oates
Damn it all! How did it come to this?
Cannibal! If you didn't misappropriate
those funds meant to assist the Tide, we wouldn't have burnt our bridges
with so much of the Crescent!
the cannibal
You are one to talk, Oily Oates.
Let us not forget how your greasy fingers
cut the quality of goods but not prices.
guildmaster
There is no purpose in assigning blame.
I want you to remember, we, the Guild, must always stand together. As long as we
are united, House Heron cannot replace us.
It is we who know the lands and we who
control the trade. This will not change.
bloodbane
My bow will be ready for Yalunzar's
sake. No matter who wishes us harm.
the cannibal
This will be a
busy night.
oily oates
(How can I get the most value possible
into my pockets before the nobles arrive?)
mitchell
I just wanted to make money. Why am I
involved in a life or death struggle?
Do all successful merchants have to deal
with this? Is this just a normal thing?
The Buried City
oriana
A brief respite is all we can afford.
We must strike and exit quickly.
We've seen earlier how these bizarre
tree creatures coordinate our foes.
Strike them down and-
(An arrow narrowly misses the group.)
tower
What the-
Get down!
mince
What was that?
oriana
Someone is firing at us from...
Elis knows where!
(Another arrow lands nearby.)
Get moving!
tower
Do not panic! Take cover
in the woods and pillars!
narrator
Mortars target the whole map,
but can't damage units on a
tile with a defensive bonus.
Ending
mince
You are nothing before The Mince!
Phew. Did we need to run so quickly?
oriana
Good enthusiasm, but there seemed to
be far too many coming to the surface.
We'll have to be satisfied with killing their
commanders; descending is far too risky.
mince
I'm still calling that a grand victory.
We just carved a path straight through
their stronghold and safely escaped.
tower
This was just a mere fraction
of what the Tide holds.
Do not be lulled into believing
every battle will be so simple.
oriana
We still prevailed against their elite force
and reduced the strength of their invasion.
A worthy feat, even if we cannot descend
into the Buried City as we had hoped.
mince
Tower, you need to just be positive
for once. Be a little more sunny.
I wanted to say that for ages.
tower
I am positive I'd rather increase our odds
of survival than waste time on empty praise.
oriana
Perhaps every crew needs someone
like you to keep happiness in check.
tower
They do.
mince
(frowns) We could celebrate by cooking a fine meal,
if we didn't dump most of our provisions.
I'll never forgive Maurice for this.
oriana
Speaking of which, we should
grab him before he gets eaten.
tower
That would be the ideal outcome
for everyone involved.
(They find Maurice still alive.)
mince
(smiles) So, you're this Maurice fellow
that's caused us so much grief.
You don't look all that tough up close.
maurice
Mince.
Ellerie's lackey.
mince
How did you like me rescuing Ellerie
from right beneath your nose?
Must have been tough explaining
that particular blunder to the King.
maurice
Why do you expend your
efforts on Ellerie, of all people?
Surely, you've been at her side long
enough to see her as what she is, a wicked wretch that'll cross any
boundary to get what she wants.
mince
It was originally out of respect
for the Good Princess's wishes, but eventually, it's because
we're damn good buddies.
maurice
Your fragile friendship is simply an
expendable resource at her disposal.
mince
(frowns) Your silver tongue holds no power.
Ellerie has never done her friends wrong.
Now, I'll leave you to wallow in your pitiful
failures. If you have any shame,
don't bother coming to camp dinner.
(Mince leaves.)
maurice
I can't believe so many of my plans were
ruined because of this... brainless ingrate!
Night
oriana
Do you want me
to take over?
tower
My shift hasn't
ended yet.
oriana
I thought it could do you good
to get some early rest.
tower
You think I'm too old to keep watch?
You better watch your next words.
oriana
Well, not exactly, but also, yes.
You have to look after yourself more.
You're certainly no longer the age to
be pulling whole night watch duties.
tower
Hmph. I would have preferred a nice little
lie there. I'm finishing my shift regardless.
oriana
It's not worth me going back
to sleep. I'll just enjoy the fire.
tower
...
oriana
...
tower
Enjoying being a
heroic adventurer?
oriana
It's so much easier. No family, no history,
no scream of agony when a life is cut short.
Just an automaton that ceases to move.
tower
There's no disagreement from me.
I would have thought you'd be
fully accustomed to taking a life, after all we've been through
these past few adventures.
oriana
Accustomed? Perhaps, but not truly
indifferent. Can one be truly indifferent?
tower
Yes, although that isn't an
outcome you'd want to see.
oriana
...
tower
...
oriana
We've really had a hectic few years,
haven't we? All that way to the Mainland, then back again, then fighting up and down
the Crescent. All for Krynia's sake.
tower
I might be more famous now than
I was in my prime. Or infamous, depending on the perspective.
It was all worth it, in the end.
oriana
All that effort, and we were only able
to save Krynia by pure coincidence.
To think we were less than strangers
when you were still my father-in-law, yet now there is no one I could rely
on more than you all these years.
tower
Not because of my doing. You always
tended to avoid me back in those days.
oriana
You seemed intimidating, and I suspected
you didn't really approve of Valen and me.
tower
It wasn't a lack of approval. It just wasn't
an approval either. Cold indifference.
oriana
And you wonder
why I avoided you.
tower
I did suspect your romance would not
last, as sudden passions do not tend to.
oriana
It did not last, but not for that reason.
Valen... Maybe it is best to leave
that part of the past behind.
It's easier to remember him as a father
that would sacrifice it all for his daughter.
tower
He was a good man, a good son.
Death embellishes all memories.
oriana
...
tower
...
oriana
...
tower
I really wish we didn't have to dump all
that pegasus cheese. I could use some.
oriana
I don't understand you and
Mince. It tastes disgusting.
Hunter's Hollow
If you completed the rescue quest
oriana
I wasn't looking forward to
revealing the fate of her friends, but there's no one here.
woman
What might you be wandering
about in this decrepit place?
oriana
I took a request from a resident
here. Have you seen her?
woman
Ah, you listened to Martha, did you?
You aren't the first adventurer to do so.
She's been making the same pleas to any
adventurer who might listen for eight years.
oriana
... Thank you for explaining
the situation. Where is she now?
woman
She is not well. It is for the best if
you do not exacerbate the situation.
oriana
Martha has my best wishes.
I shall be on my way.
If you retrieved Guichen
old woman
I feel the staff radiating magic
from across the whole room.
And you truly found this within
a fountain deep in the woods?
oriana
It was discovered by sheer
chance as we flew over it.
As we could not have found
it without your tales, I thought it best for you
to take a look at it.
old woman
Indeed, give it to me!
...
The Life Giver is caring.
The Life Giver is loving.
Then why does this staff hold
nothing but death and decay?
No, no, no, this can't be it!
Take it away! Take it away now!
oriana
... I apologise.
old woman
... No, it is I who should apologise.
It is I who must come to terms with the
possibility the legends were inaccurate.
oriana
Do you wish to keep the
staff, given its significance?
old woman
No. Harness it for your own use,
or leave it beneath the earth.
Take it away from here.
disciple
You've all returned! I didn't
think it was possible, Sear...
I've forgotten the name
of your adventuring band.
oriana
It's the Shearwaters. How is
the Green Tide situation?
disciple
We saw little for the days immediately
after your departure. However, there was an intense rumbling on
the week following your departure.
unari
That sounds like it matches up with
when our attack happened. Is that all?
disciple
If only that was all.
A primordial energy
arises in the north, the trees are moving, the Tide is coming. We feared you'd all
fallen and this was the aftermath.
oriana
But we saw little of the
Tide as we fled this way.
disciple
We're not the only town
near the Devouring Woods.
unari
Are you saying the main brunt of the
Green Tide is heading towards Eylenhurst?
In my past experience Eylenhurst has only
been affected by ripples, not the main Tide.
oriana
I suspect it was only that way in the past
because Hunter's Hollow is the closest town.
But now that there is some method
to the Green Tide's madness, Eylenhurst may be an easier target!
disciple
Hunter's Hollow was deliberately
built to be in a defensible position.
Eylenhurst, however, has always been
safe and open. In comparison, at least.
If the full force of the Tide was to hit...
oriana
Then they will not survive. Commander
Unari, we must make haste for Eylenhurst!
unari
Can you be sure this is the case?
If we
lose Hunter's Hollow to the invasion, they'll escape into the open coast! This is
a far more important location to defend.
oriana
If Eylenhurst falls, the Tide will also escape.
Just not into areas near Frosthaven.
unari
Are you suggesting something,
Captain Oriana?
oriana
I am suggesting nothing. Merely an
observation. Eylenhurst needs us more!
disciple
The Sect and gathered adventurers
will be enough to hold this place.
Go forth and deliver
Eylenhurst from the Tide.
oriana
Then it is decided! The Shearwaters
will journey to Eylenhurst, immediately!
(Oriana leaves.)
unari
What a tragic state of affairs. My word is
worth even less than a common adventurer.
Character Descriptions
Sun Shooter
A familiar looking animated suit of
armour. Just a copy, or the very
same as that other one we saw?
Rootkeeper
The demon trees have some kind
of invincibility shield now. Lovely.
Skill: Immunize
Allies within 3 tiles do
not take damage when defending.
Goliath
Do not, I repeat, do not try
blocking this one's attacks.
Skill: Overwhelm
If HP is higher than
enemy HP, boost attack to 99.
Plaguehost
The rotting pile of meat also carries
diseases? Who could've thought.
Skill: Bilebite
Inflict weaken on hit,
reducing target damage by
10 for one turn.
Clairvoyant
The last thing we need is for these
flesh things to start seeing the future.
Skill: Anticipation
Enemies within 3 tiles
have their attack reduced by 25%
Wood Lord
A conduit for the invasion forces
determined to exterminate humanity.
Free Fiend
Our greatest enemy, but also what keeps
us in business. A lot easier to cut down
than a human, in a manner of speaking.
Loot
Just gonna yoink this while no
one's looking. Or smash it.