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EponymousMrYar
Jan 4, 2015

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.
gently caress Highfort Week was a blast.

Now if only the dude had gotten something more than a jackass monkey :argh: (and a complete LP :allears:)

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Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
When I saw that last still I mistook which way the motion blur was heading and thought the Dragonfly went down in flames.

I suppose they're not that petty.

Poil
Mar 17, 2007

Building on that, maybe Hou actually really wanted to become sober and retire to become a baker so he invented the wife. :v:

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


Episode 20: The Heavenly Lily



Last time, we finished what was left of our business in Tien's Landing and flew away in the Marvelous Dragonfly. Our destination: The Imperial City.

VIDEO: Arrival



Here we are, in the heart of the Empire. This is where Master Li was taken by the Lotus Assassins, and in all likelihood they brought him to Emperor Sun Hai's palace. If that's the case, getting in may not be the easiest task, especially since the palace happens to be floating in the sky above the city (even though we have the Dragonfly, I'm assuming they won't let us just fly up there). I thought the grey structure next to the Dragonfly's smoke trail might be the palace, but it looks way too small and not high up enough in the sky.





Well, I'm sure we will figure something out. For now, let's just land our flyer.





Does it matter? Death's Hand himself seeks this one. Do you need any more incentive than that? Just question everyone. This person apparently caused a lot of damage in the south.

It seems we've attracted some rather high-profile attention with our exploits in Tien's Landing. As such, we might want to keep our wits around us in the big city.



You! Identify yourself!

By order of the Emperor and the Lotus Assassins, state your name and purpose for being in the Imperial City!



We are questioning everyone who has arrived in the city recently. You... bear a resemblance to someone we are looking for.

I don't know. The long hair, the purple clothing... very similar. It's not enough to be sure.

I've never really considered Wu's outfit to be purple, but of course there are many reddish shades of purple so they're not exactly wrong either.



Fighting city guards immediately after arriving wasn't really what we were hoping to do, but we're not planning to get dragged off by these guys either.



Hold that thought, let's see who this is. The voice sounds vaguely familiar...





MUSIC: Silk Fox Theme

In case the voice didn't clue you in, this cutscene makes it obvious who this woman is. The "Arrival" video at the top of the post contains the whole dialog bit with the guards and Silk Fox, and of course the cutscene is there too.



And here's the big revelation: Silk Fox is Princess Lian, the daughter of Emperor Sun Hai. As for why the Emperor's heir spends her time skulking around dressed as a shadowy assassin, we'll find out soon enough.



My apologies, Princess, but I was ordered to detain anyone even vaguely matching...





Then, unless you wish to be transferred to the Wall, you will leave and continue your search.

The guards run off, and Princess Lian turns her attention to us.



I have no doubt that you will make as much of an impact on the Imperial City.





It is, as you can see, customary to bow in my presence.



Well, I suppose it'd be the polite thing to do. We'd still like to know what the whole deal with Silk Fox is, though.



That is why I often travel without official escort, and occasionally present myself as someone less... bridled by the rules of the court. You understand why I don't go into detail here in the street, don't you? With what I have to tell you, I don't want to lose that option of disguise.

Makes sense. I like how one of the possible greetings earlier was basically ":byodood: HOLY poo poo IT'S SILK FOX!!!"





I will not speak the location aloud. Take this note. We will meet nearby, but I must have a moment to acquire... more fitting attire.



Very scandalous indeed. Oh, I do believe I'm getting the vapors.



And so is one of Princess Lian's servants, it would seem. I can never not pick that dialog option, because the middle one is a bit generic and the top "Yes, Your Worshipfulness :worship:" one is the kind of thing Princess Lian doesn't really expect from us.



I'm certain that my entourage would prefer that this take place in private. Your gruff nature is a bit too much for them.





Obviously!



Don't be too long. My message concerns your master, and time is very important.



As Princess Lian leaves to find a change of clothing, this servant of hers stays behind and hands us a gift from the Princess herself. That's very thoughtful, let's see what the gift is.



Princess Lian's gift for us turns out to be an essence gem named Imperial Favor, and it's a pretty nice one as well (Spirit +3, Charm +1, Intuition +1, more powerups from fallen enemies). We'll put it into our amulet later, but first let's have a quick chat with our party members. This, by the way, is the point where the Chapter 3 intro slide is supposed to appear but once again I figured starting the update with it would work nicely.

EDIT: People in the thread pointed out that you can actually make all of Silk Fox's servants faint during this scene if you pick all the... improper options. Your reward for showing off those amazing social skills of yours is Loutish Approval, a technique that adds +2 to health. +2 to a secondary stat isn't exactly a huge boost (if I am getting my numbers right, +1 to an attribute is a +10 increase to the corresponding stat, so Body +1 would equal Health +10. I need to test this out in the save editor or something), but it's still a fun little bonus.



MUSIC: Metropolis I

This walled area we landed in is rather grey and nondescript, with nothing much around except a building we can't enter (to our right) and a bunch of scaffolding, apparently used for construction. I'm going to assume that this little area (and the wall that blocks our view of the city proper) is here to help with loading and performance on the original Xbox, but it's still not the most exciting first impression of the supposedly magnificent Imperial City.



Better shot of the construction going on here. I'm not sure what they're building and there never seems to be anyone around, so we can't ask about it. Anyway, we were going to talk to our party before heading to the meeting spot with Silk Fox, so let's do that now.



I feel like I'm a long way from home, and I don't even know where home is anymore. I haven't had time to think about anything except Master Li and Two Rivers and the Imperial City... it's all so much to take in.





Now I can't help but picture that poor fish flopping in the streets of the Imperial City, oblivious passersby casually stepping around it.



(artist's rendition)





I remember lessons in the school, and you making some joke that had Smiling Mountain snickering under his breath even as he scolded us for not paying attention. What do you remember about those days?



I keep all our fallen friends in mind. With all the spirits I see, it would be hard not to. I see the walls between this world and the next as very thin. Come, we should get going. There is a great deal left to do, and I don't want to leave it for too long.

Okay, next up is Zu. Let's see if he has anything more to say about the Lotus Assassins, specifically how powerful they are here and what Zu's general feelings are on the Imperial City.



If their tactics have not changed, everyone fears them as children fear the shadows, never knowing what might come.





At least, that is how it was meant to be. Pardon my outburst. Every act of the Assassins has the approval of the Emperor. We were supposed to reflect his glory. That is why some actions... should never have been ordered.



The Lotus Assassins were once the Order of the Lotus under Prince Kin, spiritual advisor to the Emperor. During and after the attack on Dirge... changes were made. As flames seared the sky, enemies of the Emperor faced a new threat... Death's Hand. He assumed command of our order, and we began silencing people.

Zu kind of alluded to this earlier, but here's the first time we're really hearing about the history of the Lotus Assassins before Death's Hand. They were seemingly an order of warrior monks serving as the Emperor's enforcers, but then Sun Kin fell at Dirge and Death's Hand took over, turning the Lotus monks into the bunch of murder clowns we know so well.







Weakness suggests losing the right to rule. Can you see how that shook my faith in the Empire? You seem to see why I had concerns... perhaps you might understand. I have not said everything, and I have not yet decided if I will, but I see something in you that may set things right. We will see. For now, what else do you need?

Right now, we need nothing more from him. It's quite clear the Lotus Assassins told Zu to do something horrible and his conscience wouldn't let him, so he deserted. We'll have to wait for more details, I suppose.



Bringing Wild Flower to the Imperial City hasn't been such a great thing for her because there's a lot of evil here and that is apparently making "the Other" stronger.



Gah! :gonk: We haven't talked to Chai Ka since we first met him at the dam site near Tien's Landing, so we haven't seen what happens when he talks through Wild Flower. What happens is that Wild Flower's eyes start to glow blue and she begins to speak in Chai Ka's voice, which is more than a little unnerving. We probably should talk to him a bit more, now that I think of it.



GAH! :stonk: What just happened?

You can't stop me from being here. I may not be able to leave, but I can talk... and see. I see you mortal. I've been watching you.

Great, that doesn't sound creepy at all.



Ha! I am Ya Zhen, the Other of whom Chai Ka and this girl speak. They have suppressed me ever since we inhabited this body. But this place is different.

I don't like where this is going.



Let me guess, all we need to do is let the horrible demon out, and then everything will be totally great?



I can't see that turning out particularly well for Wild Flower.







Talking to Wild Flower is so depressing. Now, I thought Ya Zhen became a follower after this conversation but that doesn't seem to be the case. He'll be available fairly soon, but not just yet. Not that we're ever going to use him, since he's very much meant for an evil playthrough.



Certainly. Let's go talk to Sky next, because we all need more Cam Clarke in our lives.



I've come full circle, and I think it's time to let go of the past and look forward. We have exciting things ahead of us.





In my heart, I know my daughter rests as easily as any spirit now. Whatever happens, I have that. And if we succeed, I know she finds peace. If I could go back, I don't know if I would. I'm a different man now, and while I treasure the past, I look forward to the future with the same warmth.

Well, Sky seems to be at peace with what happened to his daughter now that she has been avenged, at least that's the impression he's giving us here. It's nice to see he might be able to move on with his life.





You know, I look forward most to the day when I figure out how to deal with you.

My BioWare romance sensors have just activated.



You're better than that. You're a companion and a drat skilled warrior. So I find I never quite know how to deal with you.

Yep, definitely active now. We're going to shoot Sky down at the earliest opportunity, of course, since the vote in the thread didn't go his way. I kinda did the vote a bit too early, as we hadn't even met Silk Fox or Sky in the LP by that point but I wanted to know as early as possible who to start hitting on.



I see we can't say straight out that we're not interested.



I don't deny your beauty; I just don't want to treat you like I would... other women. I respect you, and well... Let's just leave it at that for now.

Yes. Let's. This better not be leading towards one of those scenes where Sky comes up to us in a huff and demands we choose between him and Silk Fox even though we've never shown any interest in him. That said, let's go see if the Black Whirlwind has any new stories for us.



A bunch of fights broke out in the first few days, but after I'd killed a few dozen of their clansmen, they settled down. That's when things got boring. The leaders took the next *three* days to talk... and talk. If they hadn't let me dip into their wine stocks, I might have snapped sooner than I did.





After five days it looked like the peace would fall apart. It looked like the two leaders were about to come to blows over Jin Lo, so I stepped in. It was my job to stop them from fighting, so I cleaved the wench in two and told them to each take a half. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Uh. Right. I see. :yikes:



They weren't too happy with my decision. Everyone turned on me. Of course, they all died, but they gave it a good effort. I don't know what they were so upset about. Better a quick death by the sword than the prolonged agony of your heart being ripped from your chest and thrown to the dogs.

I believe the moral of this story is "holy poo poo, never hire the Black Whirlwind to do anything." I hope Henpecked Hou has something slightly less horrifying to say.



Some people in the thread are starting to think Hou's wife doesn't even exist, and I can't really blame them.



I am very happy, indeed. Instead of dying upon my return home, I am free... until she returns, of course.

Looking forward to meeting her! As for right now, we still have Kang the Mad to talk to before we can go do other things, so let's get on with it. I didn't really want to frontload this update with a shitton of talking, but that's just how things turned out. It's best to talk to the party members as soon as you see the yellow arrow above them, so you can be sure you don't miss anything.





The "need to fly somewhere" option is fast travel. We can pick a destination on the map and go there, although at this point that'd just mean going back to Tien's Landing. We're not doing that.



Gao the Greater heard about my inventions and bribed some officials to effect my release. I thought I had found a nice rich benefactor, but I was locked away in his lair. He gave me a nice workshop... but he really was a fool. I showed him my wind map. He didn't care where it led. He was only interested in his slaves.



Let's hear more about this wind map of his.



It seems to me I left something... a clue for myself... but I'm not sure why I'd need to. I don't suppose you'd be interested in taking a short trip back the way I came?



Sure, it's not like we have anything important to do anytime soon.



Keep an eye out. I don't know why my tracks were covered, but I do tend to incur the occasional death threat. Craters are remarkably unappreciated.



Yep, it does seem we ran into some folks who aren't too happy with Kang for some reason. These flying pirate ships that drop bombs are some of the most annoying foes in these shoot 'em up segments, because they take a million hits unless you have the spread shot.



Of course, we only have the single shot so that's great. The "boss" of this section is the biplane seen here, not exactly a massive threat even though we're out of missiles (had to kill those bombers somehow).



Now that that's taken care of, let's see where this wind map is leading us.



I kept this loading screen in because it's gives us a better look at Ya Zhen in all his froggy glory. :froggonk: But that's enough about him, let's find out where the wind map took us!



Err. I don't think this was where we meant to end up. At least we got another special weapon for the flyer, but this one is kind of useless and we're sticking with the homing missiles.



One thing for certain, there was no destination. We ended where we began. The route was the important part! Let me show you what it inspired me to make! It‘s a... well, it's a... I'm not sure what it is, but it has a lever on it that is begging to be pulled.



I see no issues with this.



*crickets chirp, tumbleweed rolls by, etc*



I need some time to think, to get my brain straightened out. This is most intriguing... and infuriating. Give me... give me some time.

You have the resources of the Imperial City at your disposal. Think harder.

Hmm... you know, it is true that I should be able to find what I need here. Let me... let me rummage through what I have stockpiled. Just a few tweaks... hmm... tight fit... not sure how that will affect things. What's that... hmph... don't remember seeing that before. Just get this last.... There we go. It's ready. Now we can finally find out just what it does. After I name it, of course. Nothing works right until you name it. How about... the Confoundable Minutia?





Apparently, it still doesn't do anything. Oh well, we tried. I guess we should head to wherever Silk Fox is meeting us. I should've taken a look at that note she gave us... huh. Something seems a little odd around here.





Whatever Kang did, it seems to have worked. At first glance, it would appear we're still alive at least and also haven't turned into monkeys or anything silly like that, so that's a good start.







Oh, looks like we brought Dawn Star with us since she was our follower at the time.



Good idea. Something about this place makes me want to explore, too. I am compelled to step this way... there are gears here that I remember.

Watch where he goes. We'll need him to get out of here.



We have no idea where this is, but that is some seriously impressive machinery.





I haven't the slightest idea. But it must be important, wouldn't you think? I mean, just look at it. These machines... they are manipulators, fabricators. They bully energy into... into something. They can be activated, deactivated, on and off, off and on. You see?





Lord Lao's Furnace! Holy poo poo, that is amazing! Wait, who the hell is Lord Lao?



I don't think Lord Lao has come up even in passing until now, so a first-time player has no clue who he is and why his furnace is a big deal, but that's why we have party members to spout exposition.





Well, I suppose we can also just ask.



Still, he is an inspirational figure for inventors. And we are in his playhouse. You select the machines you want to activate and then the tiger or the dragon button. Like this.

Err... are we sure that's wise? I mean, Kang is a genius and all that, but he's also a complete loon who loves explosions. We still have that date with Princess Sun Lian, and getting blown up and/or turned into a newt by Lord Lao's doohickeys right before that would be bad form. Not to mention that we still need to find Master Li as well.



I actually forgot the game has more than three expressions for your character when picking dialog options. Usually you just have the happy, neutral and angry faces, but there's a couple of expressions that show up on extremely rare occasions. The sad frown here is one of those.



You also have to select a fuel. It looks like there are a few pieces of cinnabar in the contraption, but it may accept others, as well.

Oh. Why didn't he say so in the first place?





It looks like a powerful thing, so just guessing at the possible configurations will probably get you into trouble and waste the cinnabar in the machine. So... you might want to be careful how you go about it. Things like this usually have directions... no, recipes... no, that's not it. Configurations! That's it.



Oh yeah! The Configuration of the Horse, which sadly wasn't a set of instructions for making your own horse demon. Instead, we can use it here at Lord Lao's Furnace.



Right then, let's see what we've got.



There it is. Deciphering these configurations is a fairly simple puzzle, you just need to find out what fuel to use, which machines to activate, and whether you need to press the tiger or dragon button. You may also notice that we still have the zither case and the silk strings, as we technically didn't do Zither of Discord on this file. More specifically, I didn't turn Wei Shen back into Wu when I was done with the quest, I just loaded the earlier save.





Before we mess with any of the machines, let's read some books. This one just has some lore about the Celestial Order, nothing particularly important for us right now.



Here's the fuel hopper. It doesn't really matter if we put in the fuel now or after we activate the devices (as long as we hit the tiger or dragon button last, of course), but let's just go and yank on those levers first.



We'll start with the Cranking Cauldron in the middle. The order you activate these in also doesn't matter, as long as all the necessary ones are active when you press the button.



The machine starts up and begins doing its thing. If you gently caress up and activate the wrong contraption, you can go back to the lab and reset.



Next up, the water wheel.



Then, the Clapper Chimney.



And finally, the conductor. To the left of the conductor we can see the Whirling Cogs, which is the only device we're not activating for the Configuration of the Horse. With all the required machines up and running, let's go take a look at that fuel hopper again.







The configuration mentioned a stone from a cow's stomach, and we just happened to buy one from Merchant Shipeng in Tien's Landing. We shove that into the machine.



A perfect fit. Now all we need to do is go punch that tiger button and hope we didn't mess up the configuration. If you randomly gently caress about with the furnace, some strange things will happen and we'll take a look at those later.



This time, though, we receive the Song of the Spirit, a technique that boosts our... well, spirit by 5. We can earn more techniques by using the other configurations, so the furnace is a pretty great place to boost your stats and attributes.





It kind of is.



Well then, time to go look for more configurations!



In fact, we can find one right next to the furnace. Let's see here.



Right. We need to activate the water wheel and the Clapper Chimney, and hit the dragon button at the end. Foul smelling water, though? We don't have that on us, so this'll sadly have to wait for later. Another jar near the Configuration of the Ox had another cow bezoar, so we're taking that with us as well.



Where can I find configurations for this device?

Well, given the rather fantastic nature of the furnace, I would bet that whoever has them, doesn't really know what they are for. You found one previously in an unrelated endeavor. I'm afraid that is just the kind of continued uncertainty we will have to deal with. Keep your eyes open.

I'm ready to leave this place.

Very well. In the meantime, I will try to see if I can learn anything more about this interesting machine. I can always bring us back here later.

We can return to the furnace at any time by talking to Kang. For now, though, we should go take in the sights and sounds of the Imperial City.





Allow me to officially welcome you to the Imperial City. I am Bai the Outcrier, and I am here to direct you around our illustrious capital if you have any questions at all. It would be an honor to say that I aided someone who was greeted by Princess Sun Lian herself!



Bai the Outcrier can tell us about the different areas of the city, but we don't really need that since there's only two districts to speak of. We're in the market district, and further up is the gate to the Golden Way. He can also inform us about what's going on around the city, which is a lot more useful.



There's Captain Sen, of course, standing guard at the gates out of the city. Word has it the Captain has some bounties. Rich rewards for those who can track down some wanted criminals.

Okay, sounds good. Anything else?

You must know about the Imperial Arena. Qui the Promoter is always looking for skilled fighters to participate in his matches. It's this huge building right here.

Fighting at the arena, all right. What else?

There's word from the Scholars' Garden that some strange Outlander has taken up residence there. Causing quite the ruckus, as barbarians typically do.

Well, that sounds good for a laugh. We should go check it out. Is that all?

There's a rumor floating around that the Black Leopard School has been having some difficulties recently. Feuding masters, that sort of thing. The Black Leopard School lies across the waterway and up the grassy path, if you're curious.

That's the school Student Wen mentioned at the very start of the game. He said he studied there for a while but the feuding masters made learning kind of difficult. We should stop by sometime, but let's just ask if there's any other stuff going on besides what we've already been told about.

Word has it there's going to be a new play happening some time soon in the Golden Way district. Over at the large pagoda on the left side of the road.

A play, huh? Sounds fun, not sure if we have time to catch it while we're here though. We've got a lot of things to do, after all. That is also everything Bai the Outcrier could remember off the top of his head, so let's actually go and see the city now.



Looks a lot shinier than Tien's Landing, although I did like the lighting going on in that town. The Imperial City's atmosphere is very different.



We got this note from Kang after returning from the furnace. Apparently, there is a configuration somewhere in "the place of all dead" which sounds a bit ominous.



We should probably also take a look at the note Princess Lian gave us. Scholar's Garden is at the end of the Golden Way, so we'll be getting a good look at the city.





Huh, it seems someone didn't get a good look at us. That, or there is someone else who's been causing trouble in the south.



Well, that part about changing our form is true, even though we never really use transformation styles.



Got it!





The large gate ahead of us is locked and will remain that way. We can find Captain Sen near the gate, but for now we'll ignore that and go the other way.



We will spend a lot of time at the arena soon, but not at this very moment. Instead, we're going to explore the path to the left of the arena gate.



It's a dead end with what seem to be creature cages (empty ones), but there is something important here we want.



Again with the sulphuric water. We still don't have that, so this'll also have to wait.



Up ahead, to the south, is the entrance to the Black Leopard School. We're not going there yet either, but while we're here we might as well look around a little.



We'll visit this blacksmith shop later.



The best thing about the Imperial City? It's got these tiny doggos wandering around! :3: If you're at full Closed Fist and are also worse than double Hitler, you can kick the dogs. What, you thought the thing about literally kicking puppies as a Closed Fist character was a joke? Nope.





Despite the best efforts of the gentleman in yellow, we manage to read this book about the history of flight, which has now apparently reached the boring stage with far fewer explosions than in the early days.



Well then, time to hit the Golden Way. This is a zone change with a loading screen in between, because the Imperial City would otherwise have been too big for the Xbox to handle.



And here we are. To our right we can see another gate, that one leads to the Necropolis (the "place of all dead" mentioned in Kang's note, obviously) but we're not going that way just yet. I'm pretty sure the way is actually blocked by a guard at this point.



That guy has a very shiny outfit for a beggar. Let's see what's up with him.







Oh my god, he's an idiot.





Oh my god, he's a massive idiot.





Yes, I can see how that would be terrible.







Wisdom is only gained by experience. Wine, women, and song, as it were. But a life of revel with no reflection still does not lead to true wisdom. One must ponder. One must daydream. Even if I could bear the shame of sullying my hands with work, when would I think? How could I grow wise?

And what does any of this have to do with begging?





Oh. Of course.



I thank you. It's not easy for one such as I. I have it far more difficult than the impoverished beggars of this city. Farewell!

I'll bet. Let's go find someone who isn't a complete moron.



The Imperial City has a lot more people walking around than any of the places we've been to so far, although as you can see there isn't always that much variety in their character models. You also clip right through these people when you walk into them, which is kind of useful because it means they don't block your path at any point.



Oh, now what?







I'm sure there is a perfectly sensible explanation as to why this important-looking person has hired this guy to insult passersby in the middle of the street. Well, we should be able to handle him.



"So can I, but beating up people like you keeps me in shape."





"I see you have spent a lot of time breathing in the wind of an ox. And at least I can remember when my last meal was."





"My belief is that you don't know what any of those words mean."





Your demand for justification of his arguments was admirable. You are exactly what we need. An Outlander strolled into the city several days ago and now sits, like a cormorant, taking what he wants from the river of our hospitality. He balks at our attempts to calm him and answers requests for payment with strange coins of questionable value. He needs to go.





So far, he has escaped the notice of any higher officials. Perhaps he was mistaken for an actor in a troupe, but that will not last. If he is reported, the Lotus Assassins will take notice. They'll want to know if he was harbored or his offense was encouraged. Guilt by association is enough for them.

Hm. Yes, that does sound like a problem.





Several of our brightest have faced him, but as soon as they get the better of him, he sets off his strange firework and says they are beaten. Normally the peasants like it when we intellectuals are maligned, but they tire of his presence, too. Getting rid of this nuisance will endear you to many.



The thing is, I happen to have a meeting planned with Princess Sun Lian that I really need to get to, so the outlander can wait for his turn. We'll deal with him when we have time.



He is in the Scholars' Garden, and no amount of opposition has moved him. Please, I hope you will prove to be a worthy opponent.

We're going to the Scholars' Garden anyway, so we can probably take care of him as soon as we finish our business with the princess. He's not going anywhere, it seems.





Honestly, reading this makes me kinda sympathize with the outlander.



We can go inside this hostel, but there's nothing there for us at the moment so we'd better just move on.



And here's the stage where the play is supposed to be taking place. Not much going on right now, though.



Nothing of interest on this stand either. Let's just head on over to the Scholars' Garden, it's right at the end of this road.



I suppose we have time for the obligatory scenery shot, though.



Next time, we meet up with Silk Fox/Princess Sun Lian at the Garden and find out how she might be able to help us. Once we're done with that, we'll go see what this outlander is all about and send him packing if necessary.

-----

DMorbid fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Mar 24, 2017

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Aw, no Loutish Approval?

PurpleXVI
Oct 30, 2011

Spewing insults, pissing off all your neighbors, betraying your allies, backing out of treaties and accords, and generally screwing over the global environment?
ALL PART OF MY BRILLIANT STRATEGY!
You know, it's strange, but I can remember almost every NPC in this game EXCEPT for Wild Flower and Chai Ka/Ya Zhen. I wonder whether I just never used them or if I somehow ended up not bringing them along or what.

resurgam40
Jul 22, 2007

Battler, the literal stupidest man on earth. Why are you even here, Battler, why did you come back to this place so you could fuck literally everything up?

PurpleXVI posted:

You know, it's strange, but I can remember almost every NPC in this game EXCEPT for Wild Flower and Chai Ka/Ya Zhen. I wonder whether I just never used them or if I somehow ended up not bringing them along or what.

I remember them, but I didn't use them much either, except for support now and again, so I don't blame anyone for forgetting.

And wow, the city is big. Tien's landing was a first hurdle to cross, but there are a LOT of things to do in the city... so Tien's landing does tend to be the curse.

AdventFalls
Oct 17, 2012

When do we learn head explosions?
Man, I remember trying to VLP this game. I was hot trash.

This LP is not hot trash. It is awesome.

IronSaber
Feb 24, 2009

:roboluv: oh yes oh god yes form the head FORM THE HEAD unghhhh...:fap:

AdventFalls posted:

Man, I remember trying to VLP this game. I was hot trash.

This LP is not hot trash. It is awesome.

:agreed:

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
Pleeeeease make a video of the interactions with the Outlander. :allears:

Martian Buddy
Jun 4, 2010

Are you ready to swear
right here,
right now,
before the devil

my dad posted:

Pleeeeease make a video of the interactions with the Outlander. :allears:

Seconded. It's probably some of the best dialogue work in the game, if not in any Bioware game.

Angry Salami
Jul 27, 2013

Don't trust the skull.
The doggos are Pekingese, the traditional pets of the Chinese Imperial Court. According to one legend, their small size meant they could sniff out and defend the palace against tiny demons that could otherwise sneak in.

Sadly, this never comes up in the game, though I'm sure we can trust that in these dogs aren't just wandering around but are quietly performing their holy duty in the background...

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


my dad posted:

Pleeeeease make a video of the interactions with the Outlander. :allears:

Martian Buddy posted:

Seconded. It's probably some of the best dialogue work in the game, if not in any Bioware game.
Way ahead of you. I assure you, that video was always going to happen.

Rockopolis
Dec 21, 2012

I MAKE FUN OF QUEER STORYGAMES BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH MY LIFE THAN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE CRY

I can't understand these kinds of games, and not getting it bugs me almost as much as me being weird
I'd always heard that they were small enough to be carried in a sleeve for convenience, like a purse dog. Also for self defense, since you can quickly toss them at an assailant.

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


Episode 21: The Magnificent Bastard

Last time, we arrived in the Imperial City and learned that Silk Fox is in fact Princess Sun Lian, the daughter of Emperor Sun Hai. She has told us to meet her at the Scholars' Garden entrance and discuss her plan to help us find Master Li, and that is where we are starting today. It also turns out there is a loud and annoying Outlander causing trouble in the Garden, and we'll be taking a look at that once our business with Princess Lian is finished.



I hope Silk Fox doesn't mind the fact we spent quite a bit of time flying around in the Dragonfly and futzing with Lord Lao's Furnace with Kang the Mad. At least that gave her ample time to find a change of clothing.



I should have seen it coming. I suspect that we share a similar strength.



As the Heavenly Lily I am above suspicion, but I am restrained by fawning servants. Silk Fox can go anywhere, and people are not shy about their reactions. There is a thrill, of course. And it allows me to find information useful to us both. Death's Hand brought your Master Li to the palace a few days ago. I saw the flyer. He was bound in chains. He must be powerful, but I still don't believe he is Sun Li the Glorious Strategist.



Not that we'd really expect her to have recognized Master Li as her uncle, as she must have been very young when Dirge happened and Li was declared dead, but might as well make sure.



I discovered this looking through records for information on Death's Hand. Perhaps he tried to influence Sun Li and Sun Kin before corrupting my father. But it doesn't matter who your Master is. I could take you to the palace, but Death's Hand controls what my father hears. He must be discredited for you to succeed.





Construction on the Wall has stopped for the first time in generations. The workers now toil in factories, building powerful creatures of stone and clay called golems. Death's Hand could use these automatons to seize the Empire, and my father is oblivious. We must infiltrate the Lotus Assassins and find evidence of this treachery.

We know Death's Hand is an evil jerk and basically the true power behind the throne already, so it wouldn't be out of the question for him to try a coup. If he actually is building an army of golems behind the Emperor's back, that is worth investigating. There's just one small problem.





That sounds a little bit... irresponsible.





Point taken. Most of the Lotus Assassins we've met have ended up without their heads, and the rest weren't in any condition to report back to their boss either.



I would wager that you may profit from their tasks, too. Can you see the beauty in using their own methods of recruitment to fight them? I think they deserve it.





If you prove yourself in the arena, they will notice you. My people can spread rumors of your interest. The Executioner will take a real interest when you finish the Silver Round. Or, if you prefer, the Inquisitor recruiter is also seeking new peopie. He might be open to persuasion.

You know a lot about the Lotus Assassins. Why?

Death's Hand rules over the Lotus Assassins, so I take special interest in their activities. I've had most of my life to ask questions. You suspect my motives? You have no reason to doubt me. If I wanted the Lotus Assassins to find you, I could simply tell them your name.

Fair enough. Well then, looks like we've got some work to do.





Or seek the Executioner. My people will spread rumors of your interest, and he will approach you in the arena. They like fighters who have passed the Silver Round.

Spoiler: We're doing both paths.





Silk Fox doesn't think very much of our crew at this point. I recall her being taken aback quite a bit if you tell her to go wait at the flyer; she can't believe you'd travel with one of these peasants rather than her.



We'll take Silk Fox along because hey, new party member. We're also going to have to do something about that attitude of hers sooner or later. I can just about see Dawn Star staring daggers at Silk Fox from off-screen.



Right, let's see if we can find this Scholar Dongow.



Guess that'll have to wait, because our little welcoming committee from earlier is back.





We... didn't do anything, though. We stated our business, then these two started talking about hauling us in just in case, and before we could say another word Princess Lian showed up and told the guards to scram.



Wasn't expecting you to, but okay!



We didn't do anything! Oh well, since these highly professional and not at all corrupt Imperial guards clearly want a fight, they shall have one.



Oh, that one is the guard captain. I didn't even realize because they both look like generic guards.



The bamboo casks in this area contain something flammable, so you can try to trick the guards to hit them and get set on fire. Or you can set yourself on fire, which isn't even slowing us down right now. I've been playing a Tempest rogue on my latest Dragon Age: Inquisition run, so my characters setting themselves on fire in combat is something I'm very familiar with. Even if they don't actually get stronger by doing that in this game.



Let's just pretend I made some godawful fire-related pun here and move on.





Since we are in the Scholars' Garden, there naturally is plenty of reading material to delve into. It would appear our scholars here are having what is basically the Jade Empire equivalent of a science vs. religion debate.



That's Scholar Dongow over there in the orange robes, but first we'll check out this scroll.



Oh hey, there's something we can use at Lord Lao's furnace. Let's see what it says.



Activate the conductor, the Clapper Chimney and the Cranking Cauldron, press the tiger button while using iron infused with nickel as fuel. The scholar who wrote this seems to find the whole idea ludicrous, but we'll see what Lord Lao's Furnace can do with steel beams bars.





That, however, is a mystery to be solved another time, because we need to talk to Scholar Dongow and ask in extremely subtle fashion if he could point us in the direction of the Lotus Assassin Inquisitor.



Good job, very inconspicuous. We're a shoe-in for the Inquisitors! :thumbsup:



Nobody here suspects me to be anything but an overzealous scholar, and I'd like to keep it that way. So, you want to know about the recruiter? You have a flying machine, do you not? Yes, I know about that. Go back to the landing area and someone will meet you there.



He already knows, I'm sure. Now go, I will not speak to you about this any further.

That went surprisingly smoothly.



Can't wait!





More intense debatin'. I think this is the hypothesis that inspired the rebuttal we read earlier, these things are found out of order around here.



The Scholar's Garden is a very pretty area, and it also appears on the Chapter 3 version of the main menu screen. I'll show that off soon enough.





This debate seems to be more about how much of the universe was created by the divine, rather than whether divine beings exist. I'm not sure how well versed the average person in the Jade Empire is on matters like this, but Spirit Monks like Wu definitely know the Water Dragon is real (as does the Emperor, of course) and we've already seen a few celestial beings on our travels.





We also know that the Celestial Bureaucracy are regulating pretty much everything you can think of and keeping track of everyone's deeds, and obviously the Water Dragon was responsible for all the water-related business and guiding lost souls into the underworld until Dirge happened.



There is another bookstand to our right, but we ignore that for now because we're distracted by that strange man in the massively garish outfit.

VIDEO: The Outlander (pro click)



I strongly recommend watching the video. I can't stress this enough.



Looks like we've got one of our warriors challenging the Outlander.





And there's the "strange firework" the Minister of Culture mentioned when he asked for our help. I don't think I ever actually identified the Minister (nor did the game, for that matter) but that's who he's supposed to be.



:staredog:



Ladies and gentlemen -- John Cleese.









I'm not sure how BioWare got John Cleese to voice the Outlander (my guess is "a handsome sum of Microsoft's money") because up until that point most of his video game roles had been in James Bond games where he voiced Q, but I am so, so glad they did get him on board. Even if he is doing it for the paycheck, he still puts in a quality performance and doesn't phone it in in the slightest.



Good lad. Found him wading in the mud planting weeds. You can't keep your crackers crisp doing that! God help you if you don't know the horror of a soggy biscuit. I've given him dignity, and unless one of you has the will to deny that I'm your better, I suggest you start learning. We'll have you in proper trousers by the morrow.









Now, I didn't ask to land here, but if a storm is going to cast my ship into the very heart of such a dark empire, I'll bring the light of knowledge wherever I can. You must hunger for guidance. You're like children. I mean, only a handful of you can even grow a decent moustache! What kind of place is this?



Can you now? Shall we put that to a test? I welcome the chance that you might impress me with a glimmer of intelligent insight. But, I will acknowledge that I am likely to disagree just because I know you are... lacking. We will need educated men to judge the merits of our arguments.



I've gone to great pains to learn your barbaric tongue, only to find that none of you have much to say. Can you convince me otherwise? I've heard a distinct lack of couplets and quatrains, to say nothing of pentameters. Is it any wonder you people live as you do?

I like that the game bothers to mention that Sir Roderick actually took the time to learn the language of the Jade Empire, instead of just being able to converse with us with no explanation given. It's not a huge deal by any means, but I tend to appreciate small details like that.



Anyway, we're going to have a debate with Sir Roderick on the merits of the Jade Empire. Frankly, I wouldn't last ten seconds if I had to actually argue against John Cleese on any subject, but since we're in a video game we might have a shot at doing well at this.



Er, whoever you wish. These five, standing here. I'm sure there will be a balance of opinion. The test must be fair. Go on, talk to them all to prove I haven't coerced them. We'll begin the debate when you are ready. Then, we'll see how you fare in combat. I doubt you'll do very well. Like the rest, you're all just too drat skinny.

This should be interesting.



I would be honored to sit in judgment of the debate. Several of my fellow scholars have also volunteered.

Before we get to do anything else, the Minister of Culture comes to inform us that he'll be one of the judges for the upcoming debate and give us a bit of advice on how to proceed.





Of course, I doubt his arguments will have the weight that he expects. Not here in the heart of the Jade Empire.

What strategy should I take?

The best course is to appeal to the individual preferences of the judges. We are... theoretical thinkers, really. It is not so much the subject but the tactic that triggers reaction. Each judge will respond only to argument styles they favor. If a judge likes fact, use it once and he will join your side. Use it again and he will switch back, just to further debate. Other arguments may not interest him at all.

What kind of arguments do you favor?

I am ill-equipped to see my own faults, but I, like my fellow scholars, am adept at exploiting the weaknesses of others. Scholars Heng and Zou are easily swayed with simple facts. Cite such details and they are certain to change their opinion either for or against.

I'll get ready for the debate. Goodbye.



All right. So, it doesn't really matter what you say, it's how you say it. Got it.



Now, we're supposed to go talk to all the judges and try to remember which one of them likes which argument style. Let's pretend I did that, and get back to Sir Roderick to start the debate. You can see in the video that I quicksave twice in very quick succession at this point, probably just to make sure that I actually did save.





I just want to make sure this is more entertaining than simply blathering about whose walls are higher or whose philosophers really know what's what. It will be a simple matter. Five judges, six topics. I'll pose my argument about why your foolish land stumbles like a child, and you try to answer. The judges will raise their arms to indicate whom they favor. Arms up for you, arms down for me. After six topics, if you have a majority, you are the winner.

Seems simple enough.





I will pull no punches, and I expect no mercy on your part. Let us see which of us is truly superior.

All right then, let's begin.



What manner of society would use the silver coin as the basis of trade? Gold is clearly superior, which you admit by using it for important statuary. Your understanding of what determines value is flawed. Your rebuttal?



Okay, here's how the debate works. We have five different argument styles we can use, and five judges who all have their preferences. Again, only the tone matters, not the actual content of what you're saying. Numbering the judges from left to right, here is what each of them likes:

Sympathetic: 1, 3, 5
Mocking: 4, 5
Dismissive: 3, 4
Factual: 2, 3
Raging: 1



We open with the Sympathetic option, which gets judges 1, 3 and 5 on our side and gives us a majority early on. Of course, this is just the beginning.



How can you truly know they are uncivilized until you've proven it by conquest, crushed them beneath your heel? You sit here thinking while far off lands yearn for direction. Not unlike what I am attempting with you.



Judges 2 and 3 like arguments based on facts, so we get 2 on our side but lose 3 since we already had his vote on the last question and he now wants to argue some more. Just like the Minister said.



Any decently civilized people would have developed a proper array of personal sidearms by now, like old Mirabelle here.



As we now only need to get judges 3 and 4 on our side to win the debate, we use the dismissive tone since both of them like that. Personally, I'd have gone with facts, but once again it doesn't actually matter what you are saying. It's kind of a shame that this debate is a glorified light switch puzzle, but there you go.



I was a bit torn on whether or not I wanted to get the judges to reach consensus against Sir Roderick or if I'd let the debate play out, but I eventually decided that completely owning Sir Roderick was the way to go after all the poo poo he has been talking. I also like his reaction.



Hmm. Clearly these people are incapable of fairly comparing one of their own to an outsider. This is a farce!



Then perhaps it was my mistake to think you would be open to anything other than your own backwards ideals. Bah!

Sore loser, I see. Of course, we're not quite done with Sir Roderick yet even though we won the debate.



We still need to duel him.



The entry hall here has walls to be up against, corners to be backed into, and floor enough on which to be down but not out. Whatever your metaphor, I'll beat it.

Uh, someone might want to clean up the bodies of those two guards who had a most unfortunate combat-related accident soon after we walked into the entry hall.



Frankly, I don't know what you people are capable of.

I will return when I am ready.

Quickly now. Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom *the* Magnificent Bastard is not one to let a duel grow stale on the vine.

We could've started the duel right there, but I need to do a couple of things first.



Such as talk to Percival the squire here, but mostly save the game.



I am ready now. Let's begin.

What? Good. Let's get this over with so I can return to schooling the rest of your fellows. I envy you. You are about to experience for the first time the skill that has forged an empire and traveled the world. There will be pain as well, but I imagine it will almost be worth it.

A FADE TO BLACK LATER



Let the duel... begin! Now, as you might be able to tell from the screenshot, we start with Sir Roderick aiming Mirabelle at us, and that's absolutely not a situation we want to spend any real amount of time in.



Bloody hell!

We're not going to mess around in this fight, so we're using our strongest style to do as much damage as we possibly can in a short amount of time. We're also spending the fight in focus mode, because the last thing we want to do is allow Sir Roderick to fire his overpowered blunderbuss at us. Is Mirabelle a blunderbuss? I think it is because it has the flared muzzle, but I don't know much about guns so I might be mistaken. Anyway, Mirabelle doesn't kill us in one hit, but it does an absolute fuckton of damage (edit: to all three stats, apparently) and knocks us down, giving Sir Roderick extra time to reload the gun (which takes forever) and aim it at us again (which takes only slightly less than forever).





Once we've hit Sir Roderick a few times, we jump over him to attack from behind and force him to change his aim.



Do that a few times, and Sir Roderick learns his lesson.

ANOTHER FADE TO BLACK LATER



Turns out we didn't kill him, in fact he looks to be totally fine. I guess that armor protected him.





I suppose I should have seen it coming. Your win in the debate was a sure sign. I do believe I have underestimated the lot of you. Regardless, you have beaten me. That's a point of honor I cannot deny.





I wouldn't be much of an ambassador for my country if I didn't abide by its customs. The Duchess of Ulmsbottom's Rules of Engagement are quite clear on this matter.



Mirabelle... is yours. Treat her well. She's a finicky lady.

Now, normally I would take the essence gem (The Silver Tongue: Charm/Intimidation/Intuition +6) or maybe one of the techniques (each adds +3 to an attribute), but I know the thread would never forgive me if I didn't take Mirabelle out of Sir Roderick's hands. It's probably better this way, at least now we can be sure he won't be pointing that thing at anyone else.





Farewell, Sir Roderick. I kinda wish he were a party member so we could have more John Cleese, but sadly this is the last time we see the man. At least we'll always have Mirabelle to remember him by.



We're not going to use Mirabelle all that often (wouldn't be much of a martial artist if we just shot everyone, would we?), but I assure you she'll get her day in the spotlight very soon.





Before we leave, let's find some more light reading.





This is the bookstand we missed earlier. I could've sworn we already read this exact same thing in the very first update, I'm gonna have to double-check...





Huh. How about that. I wonder why this is in two different places. We still get EXP for reading it, so I won't complain too much.



We have to talk to the Minister of Culture again to actually finish the Outlander quest, but I didn't realize it at this time (since we got Mirabelle and everything) so we'll be doing that later. Right now, I would say it's time we got to know Silk Fox a bit better.



Meet the Executioner in the arena, or go back to your flyer to meet with the Inquisitor. Hurry or you'll lose your chance to help your master.







I thank you for your courtesy. One always likes to hear when one's gifts are appreciated. It is difficult for one of my rank to give gifts, even ones so simple as what I gave you. A princess is not normally allowed to show favorites.



The Imperial Palace holds many treasures... although Death's Hand carted many off, to what end I do not know.

Silk Fox isn't quite telling us the whole truth here. The Imperial Favor isn't just any random gem she found at the palace's treasury:

In-game description of the Imperial Favor gem posted:

The emperors of the Sun dynasty have long been famed for their magical aptitude, but they also enjoy the adulation of the people of the Jade Empire. Imperial Favor was cut by a master gem smith, who worked for weeks to create a gift that would suitably honor Princess Lian's coming of age.

It's most certainly not some random trinket. Seems this was in fact a prized possession of Princess Lian's, and she's given it to us to show her appreciation.









But the price I may pay for helping you could be greater still. I am destined for the throne, destined to rule the Empire after my father, but... That will be meaningless if Death's Hand keeps his hold on my father‘s mind. I fear one day he may try to... interfere with the Imperial succession. Or perhaps convince my father that he should be Emperor by marriage.

:stonk::hf::stonk: Let's at least make sure that doesn't happen. BioWare romance dialog to the rescue!



You are strange indeed, but what you say is true. The Heavenly Lily could never abide such a situation. I would bite my own tongue before ever allowing that... "man" to touch me. I'm sorry, I've ruined the mood. We should continue our talk another time. First, we must expose Death's Hand, reveal his treachery and manipulation.

We've learned a little bit more about Silk Fox and her personality, as well as her fears concerning the future. Hopefully we'll also manage to get her to hold our party members in higher regard than she does now, or things might get awkward.



Next time, we'll... poo poo, I forget what we're doing next time. I think we start the quest to earn the Inquisitor's favor, maybe visit Lord Lao's Furnace again as well.

-----

DMorbid fucked around with this message at 07:08 on Mar 23, 2017

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


For some reason, a few of the screenshots I thought I had added to the update were missing. Should be fixed now.

PurpleXVI
Oct 30, 2011

Spewing insults, pissing off all your neighbors, betraying your allies, backing out of treaties and accords, and generally screwing over the global environment?
ALL PART OF MY BRILLIANT STRATEGY!
From what I remember, depending on the enemy and circumstances, Mirabelle goes from "completely useless" to "guaranteed one-shot kill." I have to admit I tried using her as much as possible because it just seemed so much fun.

Poil
Mar 17, 2007

No one misses the princess for the hours/days she's out and about?

resurgam40
Jul 22, 2007

Battler, the literal stupidest man on earth. Why are you even here, Battler, why did you come back to this place so you could fuck literally everything up?
Shine on, you magnificent bastard. :allears: Thank you for giving us that video, because that alone justifies the game purchase.

Doc Morbid posted:

Spoiler: We're doing both paths.

This is also correct; both paths are way too interesting not to do... and as I recall, might be closer to what our character would do.

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
Mirabelle! :swoon:

She's amazing against slow, powerful enemies that come in small numbers and are vulnerable to weapons. Which just so happens to describe the hardest regular enemy in the game.
Her flaw is that it's a very focus-hungry style, and that if you want to make good use of it, you must sink a lot of points into it. At the very least, she's always useful as an opener for any fight, before your enemies close the distance.



Challenge for the OP: Beat the Arena using nothing but Mirabelle. I don't remember if there are enemies immune to her there, if there are, you're allowed to use something else to dispatch them

Cangelosi
Nov 17, 2004

"It's cute," he said to himself warily, "but it's not normal."
Yay! John Cleese gave us a gun! Nothing could go wrong from this! :neckbeard:

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


my dad posted:

Challenge for the OP: Beat the Arena using nothing but Mirabelle. I don't remember if there are enemies immune to her there, if there are, you're allowed to use something else to dispatch them
I've already recorded the arena fights a couple of weeks ago so it's a bit late for that challenge unless I decide to do another bonus update at some point. Mirabelle did get used a few times, including one match where I used nothing else. :getin:

racerabbit
Sep 8, 2011

"HI, I WANT TO HUG PINS NUTS."
:frolf:
Back when I played this, I somehow managed to blunder my way to getting the Scholars to all side with me at once. I'm...not good at light switch puzzles. And I did not take Mirabelle, but got some text about how the Not-British fight, and learned what not to do.

BDA
Dec 10, 2007

Extremely grim and evil.
Is it possible to make Silk Fox's entire entourage faint if you're churlish enough? I vaguely remember that being a thing.

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS

Anime Reference posted:

Is it possible to make Silk Fox's entire entourage faint if you're churlish enough? I vaguely remember that being a thing.

It is, yes. You get a different reward for doing so. You aren't the first to ask this :v:

Really Pants posted:

Aw, no Loutish Approval?

It's +2 to health, if the JE wiki is right.

Psion fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Mar 22, 2017

Tallgeese
May 11, 2008

MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR


I would in fact argue the technique is better than the gem.

Martian Buddy
Jun 4, 2010

Are you ready to swear
right here,
right now,
before the devil

PurpleXVI posted:

From what I remember, depending on the enemy and circumstances, Mirabelle goes from "completely useless" to "guaranteed one-shot kill." I have to admit I tried using her as much as possible because it just seemed so much fun.

Yeah, it involves having to dump a metric fuckton of skill points into it to make Mirabelle usable because of the Focus drain it causes otherwise.

That said, I really like using it a lot because in a game where the primary focus in fighting is martial arts and magic, there's a certain joy in being able to say "gently caress it" and just shoot a dude in the face. It's like Indiana Jones showing up in a Wuxia film.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Honestly that's an excellent fate for a cameo. In, a dedicated scene, and out without (and this is important) getting cutscene-deathed on the way.

...so about Lord Lao's Furnace. I thought that somehow Kang the Mad blew us all into Heaven, but apparently either it was a teleporter or Heaven is a place on Earth?

Nissin Cup Nudist
Sep 3, 2011

Sleep with one eye open

We're off to Gritty Gritty land




At first I thought the Judges reset after each round. It being a continuous process was different

Bloodly
Nov 3, 2008

Not as strong as you'd expect.

Martian Buddy posted:

Yeah, it involves having to dump a metric fuckton of skill points into it to make Mirabelle usable because of the Focus drain it causes otherwise.

That said, I really like using it a lot because in a game where the primary focus in fighting is martial arts and magic, there's a certain joy in being able to say "gently caress it" and just shoot a dude in the face. It's like Indiana Jones showing up in a Wuxia film.

The most important aspect of the gun is it retains it's properties as seen in it's boss fight-damaging all three stat areas at once. This is important precisely once, but it's very important when it comes up.

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

Poil posted:

No one misses the princess for the hours/days she's out and about?

Or does she have a stunt double when she needs to be out and about as Silk Fox?

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Glazius posted:

apparently either it was a teleporter or Heaven is a place on Earth?

they say that in heaven, Lao comes first

CzarChasm
Mar 14, 2009

I don't like it when you're watching me eat.

Really Pants posted:

they say that in heaven, Lao comes first

:golfclap:

Xander77
Apr 6, 2009

Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.



Doc Morbid posted:

Episode 20: The Heavenly Lily
I'd definitely describe our clothes as purple.

Also, you're playing the most boring Spirit Monk. I always make a point of having Silk Fox's entire retinue faint by the end of our talk.

Schubalts
Nov 26, 2007

People say bigger is better.

But for the first time in my life, I think I've gone too far.

Glazius posted:

...so about Lord Lao's Furnace. I thought that somehow Kang the Mad blew us all into Heaven, but apparently either it was a teleporter or Heaven is a place on Earth?

The heavens are an actual place that living people can visit. The ritual in the forest opened a portal to the Forest Shadow's domain, the...thing Kang made teleports you to Lao's domain.

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


Yeah, this is just how I play RPGs in general because I'm boring. Sorry if I'm too inoffensive, I guess. :v:

In this particular case, though, I didn't even know (or if I did, I didn't remember) that you could make them all faint until someone mentioned it in the thread.

Xander77
Apr 6, 2009

Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.



PurpleXVI posted:

From what I remember, depending on the enemy and circumstances, Mirabelle goes from "completely useless" to "guaranteed one-shot kill." I have to admit I tried using her as much as possible because it just seemed so much fun.
I swear I managed to defeat the final boss at one point using Mirabelle on its her own. Never had much luck replicating that feat.

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


Episode 22: The Skies Above

Last time, we visited the Scholars' Garden, where we dealt with the Outlander and sent him packing (and took his gun for safe keeping). Before all that, Silk Fox told us how we should go about rescuing Master Li from the Imperial Palace. Just going to the palace and beating everyone up isn't an option, and talking wouldn't help either because Death's Hand's influence on the Emperor is too strong. As such, the plan is to discredit Death's Hand by finding evidence of his corruption, and in order to get our hands on said evidence we must infiltrate the Lotus Assassins' fortress. The simplest way to do so is to join the Lotus Assassins, either via the Inquisitors or the Executioners.



We met with a scholar here in the Garden who was an agent for the Inquisitors, and he pointed us in the direction of the Inquisitor recruiter. We're supposed to be meeting up with the recruiter at the Dragonfly landing area, so let's head over there now.



Well, here we are. It seems like someone from our crew is missing, though.







I'm happy to report our bait has snagged a fish. The lnquisitors have taken notice of us. In fact, one of their representatives is on his way here now.

You were spying on an Inquisitor, and he didn't notice you? Impossible! What's really going on, Sky? Where were you?



I'm guessing Zu knows his stuff when it comes to Lotus Assassin business, so maybe we should ask Sky a few questions just in case. Maybe it's nothing, but we ought to make sure.





You underestimate me. I can be quite invisible when necessary. I followed the Inquisitor for some time without him being aware of my presence. Then I slipped away and rushed on ahead to warn you he was coming. I didn't want him to catch us in the middle of anything incriminating... like this argument.

I suppose he had good intentions, but maybe he could've at least told someone that he's got some business to attend to (not necessarily "hey guys I'll go spy on the Inquisitor, be right back") instead of suddenly disappearing like some shady weirdo.





In any event, we don't have time to worry about that now, because the Inquisitor is here.





So I ask you, why have you sought us out? Why shouldn't I just kill you where you stand?

Do the Lotus Assassins have some kind of a rule that requires every one of their elites to have a horribly disfigured face? That aside, it doesn't seem like the Inquisitor is going to let us join just like that.



I don't think that the Lotus Assassins being the true power behind the Emperor is common knowledge. Since we know the truth, maybe we can convince the Inquisitor that we're really good at unveiling sensitive information, and he might appreciate that kind of skill.



But your point is well taken. You have shown some inkling of promise merely by drawing our attention... but that alone is hardly proof of your worth. Obviously we require some type of test, some proof of loyalty before any can join. You must prove yourself useful to us before we will even consider you.

Or maybe not. Well, it was worth a shot.



I always imagine this line being delivered in the awkward :geno: style of Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. To be honest, I kind of expected the Inquisitor to yell at us for so obviously trying to suck up to him. What can I say, I'm pretty bad at being evil.



Judge Fang of the Ministry of Harmony has made a habit of openly defying our order. In the past we have tolerated him, as few pay his accusations any heed. Judge Fang has a rather... unsavory... reputation. Because of his degenerate appetites, most have dismissed his warnings out of hand. Until now.

Turns out he doesn't yell at us or even mention that at all, he just goes straight to business.



Let's hear more about this Judge Fang character.



If Judge Fang learns of these activities from Sheng's report, he may have enough evidence to cause real problems for us. We would have to take drastic action. But we prefer to deal with these things before they become problems. I was going to do this myself, but this could be a good opportunity to prove yourself.



Let's see now. They won't want us to kill anyone (that isn't the Inquisitors' style), and we need to show some initiative so we shouldn't just ask what we should do about this business. So, let's go with the least worst option. It doesn't matter, though, because the Inquisitor isn't impressed no matter what.



Minister Sheng is staying in a new Ministry hostel in the wealthy district of the city. Judge Fang spends most of his time at the arena watching the fights. The ultimate goal is to prevent Minister Sheng from delivering his report to Judge Fang. How you accomplish that is up to you... and is the true essence of the test. Remember: an Inquisitor is not a common thug. We leave that to the Executioners. We know that disgrace is a far greater punishment than death. Do not expect any help from the Lotus Assassins with this task. You will have to prove you can succeed on your own before we will even consider you for our organization.

Well, at least we won't have the Assassins breathing down our neck while we're doing this. Obviously they're still watching from a distance, but at least they're not putting any real pressure on us or trying to influence how we should do the job.



Perhaps, perhaps not. In any case, I wish you luck in your endeavor. Remember, don't let Sheng give his report to Judge Fang. We will be watching you from afar. Once you have completed your task, I will meet you back here.

Okay, that went surprisingly well. The next question is: How exactly are we going to stop Minister Sheng from giving his report to this Judge Fang? Anyone got any ideas?



Oh, good. Let's hear it!



My glorious wife's third cousin is a minor official in the Ministry of Harmony. I know a little something of the way Judge Fang conducts his business. All of Fang's ministers bring him an honor gift when they go to see him... an offering given as a sign of respect. A... a bribe, some might call it. If we replace Sheng's honor gift with something insulting--rare turtle eggs, for example--Fang would be so outraged he'd refuse to even listen to Sheng's report!



It's true. A gift of turtle eggs would be as insulting as a box of manure. Even more so because they are so difficult to track down, whereas manure is somewhat common. I admit there are still some details yet to be worked out, but acquiring the eggs is easy. I have some here that you can simply have.

Err... all right. That seems a bit too easy, to be perfectly honest.



And yeah, why is he carting a bunch of these rare turtle eggs around anyway?



There are more daunting problems to consider. For example, how will you sneak past Sheng's guards to make the switch?

People in the thread are still doubting the existence of Hou's wife. Going by this discussion, he either does indeed have a wife or he has some serious issues. Well, he obviously has serious issues no matter what, but you know what I mean. But yes, if we are to replace Sheng's gift with the eggs, we'll need to somehow get rid of his guards.



Please be quiet, Whirlwind. The grownups are talking.





No, seriously. Shut up, Whirlwind. We'll come to you for ideas when we actually need to kill something with axes.





l have no plan for you... no easy answer. But working with the Lotus Assassins is a bad idea. No good can ever come of it.



Maybe we should investigate Fang in the arena first. We might be able to stop him from getting that report without hurting Sheng... or anyone else.

Maybe you're right, Dawn Star. I just hope that in the end we don't sacrifice everything for the sake of one man, even if he is your... your beloved Master Li.

It's up to you how we handle this, but remember that the lnquisitors aren't just thugs. They're more subtle.

Zu has some understandable reservations about us working with the Lotus Assassins, even if it is just for the mission's sake. Dawn Star brought up a good point, though; we should probably start by investigating Judge Fang and figure out where we go from there.



We've got the turtle eggs, so we can pursue that route if we want to. Still, we'll go to the arena first. Well, not "first" first, because right now we'll do some more talking with our party members! Since Zu might be able to share his knowledge about the Lotus Assassins, we'll ask him how he feels about the plan.



Turns out he feels the same way he did ten seconds earlier.





Cloaked in service and honor, even the most depraved of barbarity soon becomes unremarkable.





He was made our leader during the razing of Dirge. He replaced Sun Kin, who, along with the Glorious Strategist, never returned from that campaign. I did not serve Death's Hand long, but when the orders came, he never questioned. The connection is more direct than loyalty... and he instills that in his Lotus Assassins. That is how so many were driven to kill without cause, and why I decided no more.



There was more to that event--you are right to sense it--but I have kept my silence for so long that I must carefully consider the repercussions of breaking it. I must inevitably deal with my demons. Your destiny demands it. But I must also know that those demons will be put to rest, not exploited. For many years, I did nothing. If I had known Master Li was the Glorious Strategist, so much could have been resolved, one way or another. In the end, I will have to trust that you are enough his student to find a way to protect what I cannot.

That's a lot of words, but not a whole lot of help. Oh well, maybe one day he'll tell us exactly what his deal is.





We'll get back to him later on, of course.





Silk Fox didn't talk to Sheng in Tien's Landing, so she seems a bit perturbed as to why anyone would give a poo poo about some idiot minister. Dawn Star's got a point, though; Sheng is an incompetent buffoon, but he did really help us quite a bit and it would be a shame to screw him over in return.



l was thinking about the Imperial City. It is such an expansive place, with a great deal of history. But my... my gift lets me see other things as well. Glimmers of the past.



It is deep and layered. The lives of people spent in the shadow of the Wall... working, dying, never leaving. All their experiences have left marks upon it. The stones echo with their passing. Sometimes, I can almost hear their voices...





It has history... ages of history, and much of it is covered in blood and misery. And not all of that is in the distant past. There are dark currents I cannot see clearly. The threads of fate are woven in the city. Or will be. Does that make sense? I don't know any more.





I am worried, but I know you will be able to set things right. Let's... let's get going. I feel a chill.

We'll get going in a minute, yes. The Imperial City is clearly wreaking havoc with Dawn Star's spirit radar, much like all the evil around here caused Ya Zhen to get strong enough to communicate through Wild Flower earlier.



The Inquisitor has a task for you to prove your worth. Get to it, and show him why you should be recruited. You could also seek out the Executioner in the arena. He would be interested in your skill as a combatant.

In case you somehow forgot what you're supposed to be doing, Silk Fox is more than happy to remind you. We don't need any reminders, though, we just want to check in with her.



Your progress is admirable, but don‘t become too close to the Lotus Assassins. Their power is seductive. That is how Death's Hand gained influence over my father.





Instead of taking on that role himself, my father gave it to an advisor: Death's Hand. I was only a baby at the time.



We really don't know much of anything about Death's Hand, do we? I mean, we're aware that he is a scary guy in dark armor who leads the Lotus Assassins and has serious influence over the Emperor, but who is Death's Hand? Where did he come from?



Regardless, the Lotus Monks were placed in the care of Death's Hand, a duty reserved for royalty. It was almost as if my father took Death's Hand into our family! My family! We have been caretakers of the Empire for generations. We have created a bastion of culture in an otherwise uncivilized world. Death's Hand threatens all of this. It is my duty to see that the natural order is preserved.

Apparently even Silk Fox doesn't seem to have any idea where Death's Hand came from, he just suddenly showed up at some point and got put in charge of the Lotus Monks. Anyway, we don't care about him right now, or the natural order for that matter, because we were supposed to be asking about Silk Fox herself.





I mean, if you were a man, I could understand how there might be some interest but... never mind. Is this about the mission?





Although I'm sure more than enough has been said about me by the peasants or others, I am quite used to defending myself from all quarters.



Well, since we are doing the romance subplot, I guess I should say a few words about that. With Silk Fox, you want to be careful about what you say in these conversations. As long as you don't take an indifferent or actively hostile tone with her (including badmouthing her father), you should be fine.



They, even unknowingly, have the power to see the Empire rise or fall. The love of the people is powerful. I hope, however, that I am not just seen as a giver of charity. Anyone can throw money at the downtrodden. I try to accomplish more than that.



:liara:



As you can tell from my unconventional choice of traveling... companions. I think we are very similar, you and I. You are... interesting. We will continue this another time. I find myself at a loss for words. Very few people have had such an effect. Yes, you are... interesting.

That is very much enough of that for one update, so let's get going.



This guy wasn't here before.



Yes, I own it. Why do you want to know?

Well, I guess Kang might technically own it. Whatever.



However, I have had some trouble attaining parts of late. My previous... associate went on a trip to retrieve valuable parts and never returned.



Just get on with it.



I will pay you good silver, and I can sell you parts for your flyer... to make it better.

Hey, that doesn't sound so bad. Money, and upgrades for the Dragonfly? Sure, why the hell not. We're spending most of the rest of this update doing these flyer missions.



Kang isn't too enamored by the implication that his masterwork needs improvements.



Rickety? There has never been a flyer more solid than the Marvelous Dragonfly! Rickety... your wits are the only thing rickety around here!



What? The Marvelous Dragonfly is... why do I bother? You obviously have no grasp of such things.

I have some supplies in the north provinces that I need to pick up immediately. We've had trouble with bandits up there, so it might be tricky. If you could bring me those supplies, I'd have the parts necessary to upgrade your flyer. What do you say?

You've got a deal.

Very good! Here's your wind map: it'll show you where to go. I'll also pay extra if you get rid of those bandits plaguing the area.

Sounds good. We can handle a couple of bandits just f...



...:stonk:



Ooookay then. That could've gone better. Kang tends to chime in during these sections especially when you're getting hit, but it's kind of hard to hear what he's saying or read the text boxes because A) you're too busy getting hit and there are too many loud noises and B) the text blends almost completely into the background. Here, Kang is saying "Now that was close. We need to end this."



Oh hey, here's the game over screen. Or mission failure screen in this case. Some of the flyer missions are comically difficult because many of the the enemies take way more hits than you have the means to deal with and their strategy is to fly right into you at ramming speed. Since BioWare didn't feel like giving you any invincibility frames after you get hit, getting rammed by a couple of these ships means going from full health to dead in seconds. I have the minigame difficulty set to easy, and this still took me at least half a dozen attempts.





Even then, I only barely made it, with zero health (well, maybe 1 HP) and chi left. That biplane exploded just as the Dragonfly was about to enter its hitbox. I'm sure the fact this went very poorly is partially explained by my incompetence at video games shoot 'em ups, but this mission is still an enormous difficulty spike compared to the other flyer sections we've played thus far.



Not bad, you brought back the supplies and you took out a few bandits on your way. You can have a little bit extra for that. There were some great flyer parts among those supplies. Would you like to have a look at them? Or, if you'd prefer, I could tell you about another mission I have for you.

Sure, let's take a look at the new parts.



We could've used this in the last mission. To be fair, I don't recall any of these upgrades really being worth the cost, except the final one. Might as well check what Hin Goo's next mission is.



There are many raiders between here and the prefect's home, and his ship is intended more for... luxury and less for war. Get the prefect home safely and I will reward you well. The prefect has also told me to offer you extra silver for destroying as many of the raiders as you can. The prefect is anxious to be going. Here's your wind map, and remember, protect the prefect's flyer at all costs.

Fantastic, a flyer section that is also an escort mission. I'm sure this will go great. If that prefect is from Shangdang County, can't he just throw some horrible food at the raiders to keep them away?



Thank you, almost illegible text box. We'll get to that.



Here's the prefect, it took his ship some time to appear so for a second I thought we just needed to clear the enemies and not actually escort him. I don't remember these missions all that well.



This one actually isn't bad at all despite all the signs pointing to potential disaster. There aren't that many enemies, and the ones that do show up are fairly easy to dispatch by just hammering on the fire button at all times. I would also like to point out that these sections were clearly not designed to be played in widescreen mode, because the level just cuts out at the edges of the screen.



But yeah, we made it without any issues. Hin Goo's first mission is by far the hardest of these.



I see you were able to dispatch a few of the raiders on your way. I'll top up your payment a little for that. Would you like to see some of my upgrades, or could I interest you in doing another mission for me?



We'll just grab this nickeled iron while we're here. For the record, Reverse Tides causes all enemies to slow down for a short time, which I suppose is alright when there's a horde of enemy ships trying to crash into you, but I'd rather use something that does actual damage to them. Well then, time for the next mission.



Fly to the destination on the wind map and destroy anyone who attacks you. Drop off these parts so my associate can repair his ship and return. The area you will be flying into is private land, and by right, only the Emperor's servants are allowed entrance. But there is a truth there that must be uncovered. Be careful. These imperial flyers are extremely dangerous. Good luck.



I suppose flirting with the Emperor's daughter isn't quite enough to give us the authority to fly into this area, so we'll have to do this the hard way. I must say I quite like the look of the storm clouds we're flying through in this mission.



These Imperial flyers are serious bullet sponges. We had the spread shot at one point, but then another yellow pickup spawned right on top of the Dragonfly and that meant doing the rest of this with the double shot.





Eventually, we reach the end of the stage. There is no "Mission complete" popup, so at first I thought I had hosed up somehow. But no, we're good.



I regret I have no more missions for you, but I'm always here if you require upgrades for your flyer. Thank you again.

That's all of Hin Goo's flyer missions over and done with. Thank god.



Completing all of Hin Goo's missions unlocks Firestorm, which does a large amount of damage over time, but we don't care about that because we also unlock Dragon's Wrath. This is basically a smart bomb powerup, which instantly kills just about everything. We may have completed all of Hin Goo's flyer missions, but that doesn't mean we're done with the shoot 'em up sections quite yet.



I meant to go talk to Kang, but getting close enough to the party's hangout spot at this point triggers this discussion with Silk Fox and the others.







Then what, pray tell, is he?

I... don't know, but his power does not come from study or skill. He is something darker, and we should not be trying to enter his lair.



Sky and Hou are doing their best to ignore this whole discussion.



I think Zu has a pretty good idea of what Death's Hand is capable of, so we're not going to just ignore him. We'll still be infiltrating the Assassins, obviously, but to do so without caution would be asking for trouble. More of it, that is.





Silk Fox does have a point, though, as Zu isn't exactly forthcoming with his knowledge aside from some generic warnings. Maybe she could try to be a bit less of a jerk about it, though.



Zu does, in fact, go sulk in the corner. Or somewhere. Bottom line is, he's walked off.





Dawn Star and Silk Fox really don't like each other at this point. It seems like Wu is the only one Silk Fox bothers to give a poo poo about, the rest of the party are just dumb peasants she has no patience for. Hopefully we can fix that sooner or later, but for now there are other matters to think of.



The Inquisitor has a task for you to prove your worth. Get to it, and show him why you should be recruited.

Certainly, but first we'll take a quick trip back to Lord Lao's Furnace.





Let's see how the furnace handles steel.



Pretty well, it seems. Calm as the Morning Breeze is a +5 increase to Mind, quite nice indeed.



It also turns out we can simply buy some sulfurous water from Zin Bu's store at any time, so might as well grab a vial of that and shove that into the machine as well.



Fits perfectly, as usual.



+5 to Body.





Eh? What? Well now, what have we here. Well, isn't that just a golden carp full of luck. Let's see here. It's... it's a wind map. Very sloppy ink, like it was crafted in a hurry, but I can decipher it. It would seem that someone wants to reward proper use of the furnace.

Where does it lead?

Through some wind, like any other of its kind. Really, I'd think you would have grasped the concept by... oh, you mean specifically. Like the previous map, there is really only one way to know for certain where it leads, and that is to get in the flyer and go there. We will have to leave the furnace before we can fly out, however. A little matter of needing the flyer. Just tell me when you want to leave. If we make it back to the real world, speak with me again, and we can head off on that little wind map adventure. Did I say, "if we make it back?" Yes, yes I did.

All right, let's get on with it. We're done with the Furnace for the time being, anyway.



All right, let's go.

Ah, I'm looking forward to this. Remembering things long forgotten is like getting to open a gift twice!



Now that we have more than three flyer upgrades, we need to select which ones we're going to use on a mission.



In this mission, the primary enemies are these... weird red balloons.



I bet there's at least 99 of these things.



The balloons also take quite a few hits if you don't have the spread shot, so this was a bit of a scruffy run and we didn't destroy very many of them. Still, we got to the end and that's what counts. I could've used Dragon's Wrath at some point, but the chi cost for that is so gigantic that it's better used in extreme emergencies.



And we're right back in the city. At least we got a flyer upgrade we'll never use! Or maybe we will, because Mirage makes the Dragonfly invisible to enemies and makes them and all their projectiles phase right through us. It's a better defensive powerup than Radiant Aura (which can only take a couple of hits before you lose the shield), and seems to have the same chi cost.







With the proper configurations, these new elements can produce spectacular effects. You should be glad.



Hrm... I see what you mean. It does seem to be a rather complicated number of hoops to go through just for some shiny baubles, even if baubles are always nice to have. Perhaps... perhaps more will be revealed with further operation of the furnace, like how the map for the last trip appeared. There must be some plan in place. Lord Lao wouldn't leave such a thing unattended for no reason, much as I would never leave the Marvelous Dragonfly at the side of the road.

Indeed. So, as we find more and more configurations and use them, we unlock more flyer missions. Hooray!



Oh, and we also got another vial of sulfurous water. We'll go back to the Furnace later on, but for now I think we should heed Silk Fox's advice and go deal with that Inquisitor business.





Let's also visit the blacksmith shop (all that smoke can't be healthy in the long run) and grab an upgrade for our longsword. The Dragon Sword, just like Flawless, has a 25% damage bonus over the basic weapon, so it's worth getting even though the focus cost is higher than that of the starting sword we've been using.



All upgrades, as you can see, transfer right over. I also totally wasted those two points on Heavenly Wave in a sad attempt to make it worth a drat, and I'm probably never using Legendary Strike again so those points can be considered wasted as well. Maybe I really should just cheat and respec using the save editor like some in the thread have suggested. I should also upgrade Stone Immortal because it's better than Dire Flame.



Next time, we're finally entering the Imperial Arena so we can investigate Judge Fang. I actually wanted to do that quest in this update, but it would've put us over the character limit so I might as well cut things here for now.

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DMorbid fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Mar 28, 2017

PurpleXVI
Oct 30, 2011

Spewing insults, pissing off all your neighbors, betraying your allies, backing out of treaties and accords, and generally screwing over the global environment?
ALL PART OF MY BRILLIANT STRATEGY!
I don't even remember there being that much to the flyer stuff. I think I just did the minimum necessary amount of it. :v:

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my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous

PurpleXVI posted:

I don't even remember there being that much to the flyer stuff. I think I just did the minimum necessary amount of it. :v:

There's a final payoff for it all. It's very much worth it.

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