Let's Save Daria! Let's Play The Lost Heir Trilogy from ChoiceOfGames

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ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Demon worshippers, the lot of them.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 00:44

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 10:32

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

knowledgably

But if its funny. Save scum telling him they're a bunch of dorks writing each other messages on the back of the town's signs. They're called "threads" after the original sign they used in front of the tailor's shop.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 01:28

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Effin' Demon Worshippers

# ? Oct 21, 2017 02:36

Mr_Autoshades: Dec 5, 2016

Lord Cyrahzax posted:

Quit being lazy old man!

I just want to see what happens

# ? Oct 21, 2017 05:39

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

TheGreatEvilKing posted:

Use the knowledge

# ? Oct 21, 2017 07:54

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, we are 3 votes for Knowledge, 2 for Demon Worshippers, 2 for Rudeness.

Responding with Knowledge posted:

Harmond smiles happily.

- "That's correct! Although, historically, it has never been successful."

You feel elated that your success here might help you with more difficult questions in the future regarding this same topic. (History +3)

This makes our Character Stats as follows-

Stats posted:

Stats

Renata, Princess of Daria

Health: 100%

Specialized Training: None

Possessions: Spellbook.

Animal Companions, Pets, and Familiars- None.
Mounts- None.

MORALITY:
Good: 53% Evil: 47%

ABILITIES:
Agility: 20%
Charm: 30%
Endurance: 20%
Perception: 20%
Strength: 20%
Willpower: 20%

SKILLS:
Archery: 0%
Devices: 0%
Magic: 23%
Blades: 0%
Stealth: 10%
Unarmed: 0%

KNOWLEDGE:
Arcana: 40%
Geography: 30%
History: 33%
Nature: 20%
Religion: 30%

RELATIONSHIPS:
Gale (friend and future Rogue) 63%

If you want to see the results of other choices, I encourage you to play Lost Heir on your own or wait for a future run of this LP. I will not completely spoil the games here.

Now for the bulk of the exposition. This is somewhat canon, somewhat original. The original parts introduce important plot elements that will be brought up later in the game as though our character knew them already regardless of their Knowledge levels.

This is ok for plot, but it doesn't mesh with my personal standards for character development, thus the need for additional exposition. The game thankfully aids pacing significantly. The lecture below proceeds largely independent of our answer to the previous choice. I did not even look at the game much while composing it. You can't save scum in Lost Heir, so I didn't want to have to mess around with it a lot. Testing my own memory of the game was fun too.

Harmond's Lecture posted:

- "Now let me tell you what you might not immediately remember. I have mentioned most of this in previous lessons, but never all at once."

Harmond waves his hands and a series of illusions appear on a bare wall of the library that has been cleared for this purpose. It is a magical technique he has used to improve his lectures many times. He begins to lecture you in a knowing tone that seems vibrant at first.

- "The Consortium of Planewalkers, as you said, are a political and arcane movement for the increase of demonic evocation. Demonic evocation is defined as magic that concerns Summoning, commanding, and taking advantage of Demons. The Consortium believes that this practice should be allowed across the land and not regulated by any government body.

"The Consortium first arose several centuries ago during the reign of King Gerald II. It formed out of the ranks of a group of wizards who sought to split from the Daria Mage's Guild. Some of them had flunked out of their Guild's Academy of Wizards, others merely disagreed with their Guild's policies regarding a certain Forbidden Magic. Remind me, what are the Three Forbidden Magics?"

Harmond did not really need reminding, but I indulged him. "Necromancy, Soulburning, and Demon Summoning."

- "Very good! It is the third one you listed that concerns us today."

The other two Forbidden Magics also come up in the LH trilogy later. We will define and explore them at the appropriate time.

Resume Lecture posted:

Harmond shows you several images of fearsome creatures. Some of them resemble humans or dogs and other animals in shape, but twisted, as though they are the nightmares of what man and animal could be. Others have great leathery wings, claws, horns, tentacles, and other inhuman traits. A few are surrounded by fire, ice, and other elements. You blink, recognizing some of the creatures from your dream the previous night.

- "Demons, as you know, are dangerous creatures not native to this Plane. They reside on their own Plane of existence which adjoins the Plane Daria occupies. Those who practice certain forms of magic can travel to that Plane, or summon demons onto this Plane. Currently, it is the law in Daria that such magics are highly regulated, if not outright banned. Only the Academy of Wizards and those licensed by them can train people in the magics of Planewalking and Demon Summoning. It is forbidden for the common citizen to practice Demon Summoning- even though the magic itself can be easy to perform, it is also very dangerous. Your parents support these laws."

I could make an educated guess as to his next statement. "And the Consortium of Planewalkers oppose them."

- "In their current form, yes."

Harmond explains some of the failed Consortium movements in the past for a few moments before continuing.

- "Allow me to elaborate on why Demon Summoning is regulated, and on why some people are interested in practicing it regardless.

"First, the benefits. Demons can be commanded by their Summoners if the Summoner knows the Demon's true name and has a high Willpower threshold. The Demon can then perform tasks for the Summoner including defense, combat, manual labor, and even mundane tasks such as blowing a pleasing wind through a room, heating a bed, or chilling a drink. Demons often have great levels of strength or endurance that exceed those of humans, making them ideal for manual labor. Some demons can command the elements and do other tasks the average human cannot. Some demons are immune to or not easily damaged by ordinary weapons, some have claws and other dangerous natural weapons, some are of great size, some have wings- all this can make them excellent soldiers or bodyguards. Some demons are even transparent or invisible, which means they can be used as hidden guardians and spies. The list of potential benefits is long."

You nod in agreement, guessing at the various possibilities.

Not every Demon we'll meet appears in the above images. I had not yet found these images when I started the LP, but I'm glad I did before this post.

Lecture Continues posted:

Harmond begins displaying images of ruined cities using his illusion magic.

- "In the distant past, centuries if not millennia before the Kingdom of Daria was founded, there existed a civilization known today as the Som'Reth. It is believed that their people greatly indulged in Demon Summoning on a level not practiced today by any but the most dedicated Summoners. Some scholars say the Som'Reth worshipped Demons, others believe they merely Summoned and took advantage of them. A few even speculate that the Som'Reth sought to become like Demons themselves. It is unknown what caused the Som'Reth civilization to decline and collapse, but today the ruins of their cities and their relics are all that remains. Many of the relics are tools the Som'Reth unfortunately left behind which allow any magic user, trained or otherwise, to call upon Demons easily and Summon them to this plane."

Harmond creates several images of oddly colored glowing stones.

- "These are Demon Stones, arcane gems created by the Som'Reth and hidden within the ruins of their cities. It is unknown how they created these Stones and knew what to inscribe on them. Each Stone is inscribed with the true name of a specific Demon and bound to that Demon. To use the Stone, a would-be Demon Summoner need only hold it and concentrate. They then must read aloud and properly pronounce the runes inscribed on the Stone when the Demon bound to the Stone appears.

"If the Summoner lacks or fails to apply their Arcane Knowledge to properly read the runes, they will say the Demon's true name wrong and the Demon will be able to act out of the Summoner's control. The same is true if the Summoner's Willpower is not up to controlling the Demon. It can be dangerous for the untrained to even try to focus their Willpower to a greater level in such situations. Experienced Summoners, however, and those with strong Willpower, can find themselves up to the task. There are currently only two official organized entities that train such Summoners- the Academy of Wizards and the Consortium of Planewalkers. And the Academy is by far the inferior of the two."

"Go on," you say, still intrigued for the moment.

- "There are unofficial unorganized attempts to Summon Demons, of course. Usually, these events end in tragedy. It is good that the Som'Reth's ruins are usually remote and hard to access. Dangerous monsters often lurk near or inside them, while the ruins themselves often contain lethal traps that the Som'Reth built to guard their treasures. These traps can be hard to find, let alone disarm. Unfortunately, the treasures the traps and monsters protect are usually of great value, tempting the desperate and uncautious. It is unknown why the Som'Reth created such ruins. Some scholars believe it was an obscure god's demand, others that the Som'Reth wished to test future civilizations and see if they could duplicate or exceed what the Som'Reth could do. Here is an example of one very creative defense for their ruins."

- "The image you see before you is of a Som'Reth Welcome Box. These boxes are often found in the lairs of Trolls, Dragons, and other dangerous monsters. They may also be found in the wilderness, or in ruins and caves not necessarily once occupied by the Som'Reth. These boxes can be hard to open for the unskilled, but if they are opened, they often contain maps to Som'Reth ruins, keys to doors within those ruins, and magical artifacts similar to what can be found in the ruins. Adventurers who find such boxes and explore the ruins to which the boxes direct them usually end up either quite wealthy or quite dead."

By now, Harmond has started to bore you a little. You have to stifle a yawn.

- "The Academy of Wizards seeks to discourage adventurers from exploring Som'Reth ruins. Usually only the most desperate or highly skilled parties ignore them. The Consortium of Planewalkers, on the other hand, often sponsor expeditions to seek out and explore Som'Reth ruins. Some of their more extreme members even have soldiers encircle and guard the ruins they find, seeking to ensure that only their movement can control the treasures within. The irony that their movement is in favor of increasing the allowance of Demon Summoning while they seek to bring the practice under their complete control is lost on the Consortium.

"Naturally, some of this ruin-guarding practice on the part of the Consortium is sponsored by Academy influence to regulate their Demon Summoning. The Consortium has long cooperated with said controls, even though they do sometimes voice disagreement with them. Their main compound is on an island in the northern city of Vernex."

Harmond displays an image of that city on the wall, followed by a close-up of the Consortium's island compound.

- "This compound was constructed using Demon labor and features many elaborate magical and Demon-inspired defenses. The Consortium allows only approved official parties, their own students and approved members, and adventurers selling unregistered Demon Stones to enter their compound. Even then, they still usually charge an expensive toll for any ferries crossing to their island. All this is approved by the Academy, mind you.

"I need to explain further what I mean by unregistered Demon Stones. The Consortium has created an elaborate magical defense system for any Demon Stones their members obtain and use. Every Consortium member's Demon Stones are registered to that member. If another member or someone outside the Consortium is found in possession of, or worse using, Stones that do not belong to them, the Consortium allows the offender to be punished under their own rules and the laws of our Kingdom. Consortium members also store their personal Demon Stones in special Runebags that, if opened by the unauthorized, can activate magics that erase the inscriptions on the Stones within, rendering them completely useless rocks."

This is all very relevant to the game's plot, as we will see in due time.

Lecture Close to Conclusion posted:

- "This control system is greatly approved of by the Academy of Wizards and your parents. Even the Consortium's more extreme members and nobles who support them have to recognize the benefits and safeguards it provides. Greatest among these, perhaps, is that the regulation system has helped sponsor a high amount of research into safe and skilled demonic evocation, as practiced by the Consortium and taught at their Vernex compound's university."

Harmond does not seem to notice your increasing level of fatigue.

- "Thanks to their expeditions and their research, the Consortium of Planewalkers has gained an incredibly high knowledge level regarding Demons, the Demon Plane, and Demon Summoning. Enough that the Academy has licensed them to train magic users in Demon Summoning with Academy oversight. They are considered the foremost Demon Summoners in Daria. Some superstitious people, however, regard them as Demon Worshippers, even though that is not always accurate. I would not advise calling a member of the Consortium a Demon Worshipper to their face.

"Despite the public superstition, Demon Summoning has vastly grown in popularity in recent years. The Consortium has spread the opinion that no magic, including Demon Summoning, is inherently good or evil. It all depends on how that magic is used. A large number of nobles, scholars, and powerful wizards agree with this view.

"Thanks to their supporters and the resulting funding, the Consortium operate their university. They also employ a large army of soldiers, many of whom are trained in Summoning and commanding Demons along with mundane forms of combat. A large number of Daria citizens have relocated to Vernex to study with and join the Consortium, eager to explore what Demon Summoning can do for them. This is of great concern to the future of Daria, if not our entire Plane."

You begin to wonder how long Harmond's lecture will keep going, and if any of it will be relevant to your sheltered royal life.

1. Continue to listen intently.

2. Ask rudely "What's the point of all this?"

3. Stop listening and wait for the lesson to end.

These are the real next choices from the game. The actual game lecture was, in my humble opinion, not nearly expositive, or temptingly frustrating, enough for a dedicated writer's LP. If Lucid ever reads this, I hope he recognizes it as the flattery as which it is intended. I mean him no disrespect or other infringement.

At least one hidden bonus is lurking behind an above choice. Try and guess where it is, or maybe you'll find something I haven't since I usually go for the little bonuses I know about with my characters and not other choices unless I'm roleplaying- and I haven't picked all these choices before. I'll check in for a good majority before 0600 CST. Short time on this decision, I know, but I want to wrap up the exposition as quickly as I can.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Oct 27, 2017

# ? Oct 21, 2017 08:08

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Miss smartypants that we are would probably keep listening intently.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 08:44

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Keep listening.

We need to learn the rules so that we can illegally demon summon proper like.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 08:46

Lord Koth: Jan 8, 2012

Just as a note here (and I'll remove it if asked), but it was already mentioned that Demon Summoning relies on exactly one stat - Willpower. Said stat is INCREDIBLY hard to raise - in fact so much so that it is the only stat that the game actually has checks on certain choices to catch altered stats. Not that the game cares if you alter your stats, it'll just tell you that a choice was impossible to succeed at by that point in the game, regardless of what the displayed requirement is.

edit: Why yes, I did pick up this trilogy a few days ago, and have been playing around with it. Also, added spoiler tag above just in case. Don't really think anything there is a spoiler, but decided to toss game mechanics chat behind the bar anyways.

As for this choice, well we're already being a charming person, so might as well Keep Listening.

Lord Koth fucked around with this message at 09:43 on Oct 21, 2017

# ? Oct 21, 2017 09:30

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

No problem with your reminder elaboration, Lord Koth.. Thanks for the reminder and edited spoilers, plus the vote.

We have missed one opportunity to raise Willpower already. We came very close to choosing it though. It is possible to get good benefits out of Demon Summoning without making this choice, if you decide to do it and can find all the other opportunities to increase Willpower. However, you have to be very careful.

I will add that Willpower is only relevant to Demon Summoning and if you choose to never Summon Demons until the third game when it's plot mandatory, it is fine. Of course, by then you will have missed many opportunities to do interesting and/or cool things by Demon Summoning, your Willpower will still be minimal, and you will have avoided many unfortunate, dangerous and/or potentially embarrassing character actions that could have come about because you Summoned the wrong Demon at the wrong time.

I will again address the possibility of whether we try Demon Summoning at the point the game offers it and discuss the reasons why and why not we might want to do it. The issue is not on the table right now and will not be for some time. Long before it is put on the table for us, we will see some of the terrible things Demon Summoning can do.

Here's the next update, the last one for tonight-

Sorry for all the exposition. It was IMO necessary and entirely intentional. Doing it now means I don't have to do it as much later. I hope that is appreciated.

The game's rules on Demon Summoning were all discussed last post, are re-addressed in this one, and will be brought up again when we have the opportunity to try doing it. That choice will be a while, but it will come. Dun Dun Dun!!!

Proceeding with majority decision... no, wait, I think I'll show off all of the options in this case. It'll be fun, and I can elaborate where memory and the game fail to help me. Just this once.

The first choice is the one we made, as the bonus there is negligible but might make all the difference later.

Keep Listening posted:

You are a diligent student and you listen eagerly.
(Arcana +1)

- "I can see you're wondering why I'm telling you all this...

Rude Interruption posted:

Harmond frowns, but he is used to your occasional rude interruptions.

- "The point, Renata, is that...

Stop Listening posted:

Harmond blathers on for a while, then suddenly leans forward and slams a book on the table with his open palm, regaining your attention.

- "I'm sorry. This is very important. I need you to listen to me."

I was so surprised by his action that I said nothing in response.

This is probably the only time I'll show off all the possible results of a choice in this run. The last bit above was original. In the actual game, picking Stop Listening means you don't hear what Harmond says next, to your probable detriment later on. :argh:

Back to Canon posted:

- "Our castle has today been graced with a large delegation from the Consortium of Planewalkers. They arrived early this morning and have scheduled an audience with your parents for this afternoon, about thirty minutes from now, in fact. Your parents, the Queen and King, requested you be present at that audience. They also suggested I tell you everything I know about the Consortium before it began."

You start to nod, realizing the purpose behind the lecture. Harmond's expression changes slightly with his next statement.

- "The leader of the Consortium delegation is a high-ranking member named Alexander Zusak. He was once a pupil of mine, back when I taught at the Academy of Wizards. I have not seen him since those days."

You notice a strange emotion in Harmond's tone. Is it disappointment or pride?

- "I hear he has powerful associates now, and much influence among the Consortium. They have elected him High Chancellor, a very important position. Your parents are treating Zusak with cautious respect. I suggest you do the same."

Harmond clears his throat, then speaks again in his former tone.

- "To sum up what I said earlier without immediately irrelevant details, we have been graced with a large contingent from the Consortium of Planewalkers. They will be presenting their arguments to your parents once more this afternoon. As you know, the law restricts Demon Summoning and leaves its practice in the hands of those wizards who are Academy trained.

"Demons live in a separate Plane accessible only by magic. Through a combination of Summoning and control, they can be brought into our world and forced to do the caster's bidding. But, if the Demon wins this contest of wills, it gains control of the caster.

"Demons have strange moods. Some will just talk to their captives, but many have perverse and cruel tastes. Many of the poor conjurers mutilate themselves or attack others. Weaker Demons can only control a person for a few minutes, but stronger Demons can keep control for hours or even days.

"Luckily, Demonic Possession is very obvious to anyone seeing it. The mage's actions are very stiff and awkward as the wizard attempts to regain control.

"Alexander Zusak is a high-ranking member of the Consortium. I hope that you attend court this afternoon and hear your parents' reactions to his arguments for yourself. That's enough for today. I'll see you tomorrow, Renata."

1. Say "Thank you, Harmond."

2. Say "Okay, bye."

3. Say "Thank the Gods that's over! You're a real blowhole!"

4. Leave without saying anything and hurry on your way.

Again, there is at least one hidden bonus here. Try and find it if you like.

Next update (probably this afternoon around 1700 CST depending on votes), we will begin the audience with the Consortium and meet Princess Renata's parents. Next update is also the last call to express interest in renaming characters before I take that option off the table for this run. I have allowed time for readers to ponder the issue and speak up if they did not have the chance earlier, but since no one has expressed interest thus far, I am ready to drop the idea as of next post- at least for this run.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 09:52 on Oct 21, 2017

# ? Oct 21, 2017 09:48

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Thank you.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 12:19

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

I know this is earlier than I said last update, but I will explain why. I woke up early and decided to update after looking at future choices on my iPhone. We're in a slow plot mandatory part of LH 1, but it should give time for characters and plot to sink in and make latter events more meaningful. I've looked ahead at future choices using my iPhone (Steam window on my laptop matches our current game progress, using iPhone as a pseudo save scum tool) and they are mostly world building flavor "false choices". But I'm still taking advantage of them for pacing rather than skipping thru on this first run. I need to shape the LP properly and I'm back in my workweek now too. :sigh:

I know people will be eager for action if they aren't already. I promise you, it will come. Just got to frame things right for the game story and my schedule.

Thank you, teacher! posted:

Harmond smiles and nods to you as you leave.

(Charm +1)

You think to yourself as you leave the library- That was a very interesting lesson. Now I best hurry to prepare for that afternoon audience. I feel I should meet these Demon Summoner Consortium people, they may be very important to my life.

You make your way through the halls to your family's private chambers. As you enter, you see your parents sitting side by side at a table. King Brand is strong and fit for his age. His short beard is streaked with white and his eyes are intense as he laughs at a joke your mother made. Queen Jade had been a real beauty in her youth and her good looks have matured into a stately grace as she has aged.

King Brand and Queen Jade's head canons are in honor of my favorite childhood fantasy monarchs. They are voiced by Michael Donovan & Nicole Oliver respectively.

The first run's Cast Page has been updated with new faces if you look on Page 1, Post 3. There will be more throughout the LP.

Parental Interaction... posted:

Your father calls out to you as you enter the chamber.

- "Renata! Old Harmond kept you late, I see. No matter. Grab some food before you come with us to the throne room."

You look at the finished meal in front of them and realize that Harmond must have kept you past the afternoon snack bell, probably for having arrived late.

- "You'll need to change first. What have you been doing?"

You quickly rush into your own room and see that another outfit has been laid out for you. You waste no time putting it on, washing away the dirt from your hands and face, and returning to your parents.

Together, the three of you start traveling through the castle halls after a servant fills a plate to bring along for you to eat.

Your parents smile and talk to you a bit as you walk.

- "We haven't seen you at all so far today. I thought you'd be up earlier."

- "Bertie told us you were mumbling and waving your arms a lot in your sleep. Is everything alright?"

Bertie is your valet. She is a bit inexperienced and sometimes nosy, but usually attentive to her duties.

- "She didn't say anything bad, we're just concerned. We love you, and you are our Heir."

- "Did Harmond tell you why this afternoon audience is so important?"

You nod. It seems best for conversation flow.

- "I hope you paid attention to his information. It could very well impact the future of Daria and your life."

- "Dear, don't scare her. Gods willing, she still has at least a decade before she becomes Queen. We'll still be around all that time."

- "I know, I know."

You reflect for a moment silently on how your parents are often occupied with their royal duties. They try to do their best to love and raise you regardless of that, but your feelings regarding the matter are constantly undergoing changes and hard to predict. Harmond has told you this is normal for your age.

Your father looks directly at you as you turn a corner.

- "So what were you doing this morning?"

1. Reply honestly, "Playing with Gale."

2. Say, "Oh, you know, the usual- fighting dragons, rescuing princes, and showering the commoners with gold."

3. Lie, "Studying the tax code."

4. Say petulantly, "If you spent more time with me, you'd already know."

5. Snap, "What I choose to do with my free time is my own business."

Ah, adolesence.

One hidden benefit above, maybe more that I haven't found due to usual playing habits. Guess where the reward is if you can, I'll check in later this afternoon and update then or tomorrow morning, depending on votes and personal time.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 16:00

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

You know us, always fighting princes and showering the common dragons with gold.

ultrafilter fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Oct 21, 2017

# ? Oct 21, 2017 16:03

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Fighting dragons, rescuing princes....

What's the king & queen from? They look familiar.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 16:33

Added Space: Jul 13, 2012; Free Markets
Free People

Curse you Hayard-Gunnes!

Avalerion posted:

Fighting dragons, rescuing princes....

What's the king & queen from? They look familiar.

From the old He-man cartoons.

Be honest

# ? Oct 21, 2017 18:38

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

gently caress you dad, spend more time with me.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 18:40

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

taxes

# ? Oct 21, 2017 19:42

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

I thought up some original flavor text for each option of the previous decision to flesh out our parents. The chosen choice (responding with imagination, #2) is below. Of the other choices, honesty would have given us a similar story to #2, altering a few details.

Response #3, Lying about the tax code, would have caused our parents to mention a character from LH 2 ahead of their official appearance (Lord Tovar's still mentioned below). The rude options (#4 and #5) would have started a minor argument between our parents that either concerned whether they have more time to spend with us or how to give us an attitude adjustment (a Mentor would have been delegated for the latter discipline, either Sir Grady or Sister Geri since our parents respect them the most).

#2 is the only option I recall the game rewarding, though I think #5 may give some Evil points. A similar attitude does elsewhere. Maybe in a second run we can still have our character get the benefit from #2, only through sarcasm. If we play an evil character, I mean. Not saying we will.

The models for the King & Queen's head-canons, King Randor & Queen Marlena, are indeed from the 1980s He-Man cartoons. There was also a remake version of the show in the early 2000s that was almost as good. I have enjoyed both. As mentioned in the opening post, Prince Adam was one of my early characters in LH. I saw his name in the possible choices and could not resist the He-Man homage.

Responding with Imagination posted:

"Oh, you know, the usual- fighting dragons, rescuing princes, and showering the commoners with gold."

Your father laughs and ruffles your hair. Charm +2.

King Brand then exchanges a smile with Queen Jade.

- "Do you remember when we used to do that sort of thing?"

- "How could I forget? It was our courtship."

- "Renata, you may not remember from the bedtime stories in your younger days, but your mother and I were childhood friends who fell in love when we ran away from this castle to seek adventure. Only one of us was born royalty- who was it again, Jade?"

- "It doesn't matter, Brand. We're both royalty now."

- "Oh, right. Well, we had a lot of fun times and traveled with some interesting companions. You know Sir Grady in the training yards? He was one of them. So was Harmond, your tutor, and Sister Geri, that Monk who lives in our castle temple. There was also a Half-Elven cleric whose name I can't remember now, and a Halfling rogue. We righted many wrongs, helped a lot of people, vanquished a lot of evil. Those were the days..."

- "Mind you, we rarely told anyone we were actually royalty. Our companions knew, but few others did. When my parents found out what we were doing, they were shocked. Your father's parents were quite the opposite."

- "I remember it being the other way around. Anyway, we eventually settled down and took the throne of Daria when your royal grandparents retired. Someday, that throne will be yours."

You have only paid your parents' story a small amount of attention, concentrating on finishing the afternoon snack the accompanying servant carried for you. He nods at you when you have emptied the plate.

- "Thank you, your Highness."

You recall that this servant is your valet Bertie's brother Betrand.

If you can't guess, a male Heir means Bertrand & Bertie swap roles.

Scene Resumes posted:

Your parents are still chatting with one another.

- "Renata will take the throne, provided we can keep control of the nobles. I'm worried about some of them. Lord Weslo, for one. He's never liked our family. Duke Eddan concerns me too, he's been building up his military a lot lately. And Duke Uddo signed that trade deal with the Consortium we both argued against, while Duke Bandar-"

- "Jade, all this political stuff is probably going right over Renata's head. Besides, none of those nobles can effectively oppose us as long as we control the kingdom's throne, central army, and purse strings. General Vale, Lord Treasurer Tovar, and Archmage Cumari of the Academy of Wizards are all our firm allies. Everything will be fine."

He turns back to you with a wistful expression.

- "Tell me, Renata, is your friend Gale one of your play adventuring companions?"

"Yes, of course," you say with a smile. Petra also joined you in such play when she lived in the castle. You recall her often patching up your injuries, aided by a young interest in medicine. "Petra, too."

- "Ah yes, Petra. I remember her. And those other childhood friends you had once upon a time? What about them?"

You blink, unable to recall of whom he is speaking.

- "Leave her alone, Brand. She obviously doesn't remember those children. How could she? It was years ago! We're almost at the throne room now anyway."

- "Yes, we are. Never mind that now, Renata. I'll remind you about your old friends later if I get the chance."

Renata will be seeing her old friends again, minus Petra. Don't worry. Their characters' earlier knowledge of the Heir is revealed in a dream sequence during LH 3, for those not already aware. I may feature Petra as an Easter Egg at some point, I have yet to decide where, but she won't be a party member this run. Maybe in a second run here she will be, and Gill/Gale will be the missing Easter Egg party member in that case. We'll see when this run is complete.

The nobles mentioned above will feature in the game later, most prominently in LH 2. Their head-canons and descriptions are now on the Cast Post, though, if you are interested. Page 1, Post 3. I'll try to learn how to link directly to that post before I mention it again, PM help appreciated if anyone wants to give it.

Now For Some Big Plot! posted:

The Castle Throne Room is already filled with people as you and your parents enter. You notice a trio of strangers among the group who seem to jump out at you with their very presence. The first is a darkhaired man with a neatly trimmed goatee dressed in very expensive purple clothing standing off to the side. He has an odd expression on his face.

- "..."

Another large muscular man wearing two hand axes in his belt stands next to the man in purple. Weapons are allowed for the castle's special guests, although most choose to come before their monarch unarmed. The two men seem to be polar opposites. The short, well-dressed man seems dainty and precise in his bright clothing, whereas the axeman is nearly two feet taller, a hundred pounds heavier, and wearing dark clothing.

- "..."

The third member of the trio is a woman with straight red hair and a short sword on her belt. Her eyes have a highly intelligent look as she watches everyone around her.

- "..."

These characters are played by Jonathan Frakes, Dave Bautista, and Tabitha St. Germain. I'm pretty sure they're all evil. You may recognize Zusak's head-canon from a certain 1990s Disney cartoon whose primary villain reminded me of him.

Let's Meet the Big Bads! posted:

A servant moves aside after fluffling the cushions of the three chairs atop the Throne Room's dais. Your parents sit in the larger chairs, while you take the smaller but no less adorned one. A herald intones your various titles and ranks to those assembled.

- "Presenting Their Royal Majesties King Brand and Queen Jade of Daria, who are equal in power as monarchs of the realm! Also presenting Her Royal Highness Princess Renata, Heir to the Daria Throne!"

A fanfare of trumpets sounds from the room's minstrel gallery. Your mother then speaks from her throne.

- "Welcome to Tornassa, Capital of Daria. We are pleased to have such a highly esteemed member of the Consortium of Planewalkers with us today."

The man wearing the bright purple clothes steps forward and bows, flashing you and your parents a smile filled with perfect white teeth.

- "Thank you, your majesties."

The breach in protocol causes the herald to pause momentarily, but he quickly resumes his role. The man hadn't even waited to be introduced.

- "May I present Alexander Zusak, High Chancellor of the Consortium of Planewalkers! Also, his associates- Thuja from the Opal Cove Weapon Masters and Lady Selena of Brightwater!"

Zusak, the man in purple, bows respectfully before your parents once again, although the smile on his face tightens while he does so. Selena, his female associate, curtsies, but her eyes remain level with your mother's and her expression does not change. Thuja, the man with the axes, refuses to bow and stands scowling. Your father raises an eyebrow at all this, but does not call attention to the trio's disrespect.

- "..."

Your mother meanwhile continues to beam a diplomatic smile at all three.

You wonder if you should-

1. Sit quietly and respectfully.

2. Laugh out loud at the dandy in purple and his odd companions.

I'll try to fit in another update before I have to leave for work around 1730 CST. If I can't find adequate time or there aren't any votes, it will come tomorrow morning or afternoon depending on the same issues. You have till that update to decide our probably totally meaningless inital reaction to the game's primary bad guys. :smuggo:

# ? Oct 21, 2017 20:55

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

How could we not choose to laugh?

# ? Oct 21, 2017 22:17

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Laugh inwards but sit quietly.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 22:48

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

Laugh at this tryhard.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 22:52

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Sit quietly. There'll be plenty of time for laughing later.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 22:53

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

We're tied but it doesn't matter in this case.

I usually laugh when playing by myself. It's just too funny. Except when I'm roleplaying a character who wants to maintain the Dignity of the Realm. But Renata says screw that!

To hear what our laughter might sound like, click the link below. Thanks, Youtube & Disney.

Laughter posted:

You snicker at the look of the man in purple, causing him to glance over at you and your parents to frown. Zusak's fake smile falters in irritation, but snaps immediately back into place as he turns to your parents again.

You indulge further in some quiet laughter, unsure what has come over you.

Mocking Laughter

Meanwhile, everyone around you is still talking. After a moment, you compose yourself and return your attention to what is happening nearby.

Per my iPhone version, sitting respectfully just skips the above bit.

Governmental Exposition posted:

- "I appreciate your hospitality, Your Majesties."

As he speaks, Zusak is primarily addressing your mother, whom you recall is royalty by blood and thus the official ruler of Daria. Although your father was often consulted during difficult decisions prior to their marriage, he did not ascend to royal blood himself until he became king. The royal line of Daria has always been passed down from parent to oldest child, mother to daughter in this case, making your mother the most important person in the room.

The above detail is reversed with a male Heir, making our father the important person in the room. I personally dislike it due to Daria's established tradition of near equality between the sexes, so it is altered slightly for this LP. The same detail creates a minor continuity error that has to be addressed in Part 2 should our protagonist have a child or name an Heir of the opposite gender. Beta testers really should have caught and fixed this IMO.

Zusak's Audience posted:

Zusak clears his throat and opens his mouth to begin speaking again, but your mother cuts him off.

- "Let me save you some time. I must tell you that I have no intention of lifting the current Royal Ban on unlicensed Demon Summoning. Nor will any argument you can make move me. The Boundary between our Plane and the Demon Plane must be protected and such power isn't safe in the average person's hands. The Kingdom of Daria will continue to leave the regulation of such arts in the hands of the Academy of Wizards."

Zusak smiles at these words, which seems strange given what you can recall from Harmond's lecture. You do not have the immediate chance to wonder what this means.

- "I suppose that all of the standard arguments, including free Demon labor and equality in the hands of those without ranks, won't sway your opinion?"

Your mother gives him another of her best diplomatic smiles.

- "I'm afraid not."

- "I'm afraid not either."

Your father looks at you, and catching the prompt, you nod as well.

- "Very well. Thank you for allowing me to present my views."

You catch the underlying sarcasm in Zusak's tone and wonder if he is about to storm out of the Throne Room. Your mother's next words preclude this.

- "I trust that you'll stay for the banquet we're holding for the honor of the Consortium?"

Zusak gives her a greasy smile and bows again.

- "Naturally."

Zusak then leaves the Throne Room, accompanied by his two associates. A large group of soldiers in black armor and magicians in black robes follow them. You speculate that these people are the remainder of the Consortium delegation.

Your parents turn to you after the delegation departs.

- "Thank you, Renata. If you recall the lecture we asked Harmond to give you, you should know why it was important that you supported us just now."

- "The last time the Consortium sent such a delegation to Tornassa, their leader was the High Chancellor who preceded Zusak. He told my parents that they were only King and Queen 'for life'."

You frown at her words, sensing the implications. King Brand leans over and pats your hand to reassure you.

- "We're not going to be around forever, Renata. All humans must die some day, as the Good Gods Lucien and Auriel teach. What's important is to make sure the next generation after ours is left with the proper values in place to oppose danger and evil."

You nod. Under the circumstances, it is the only thing you can think to do.

- "Renata, why don't you go have some fun before the banquet? A number of other audiences are scheduled for this afternoon, but you don't need to attend them. I'll pass word to Harmond and your other tutors that you're free from lessons for the rest of the day."

"Thank you."

Eager to be out of court and away from your tutors, you nod your thanks and rush out, holding your hands at your sides. You don't bother trying to find Gale, knowing that she'd be busy helping her mother in the kitchen, preparing for the large banquet. Instead, you decide to clear your head of all the significant events that have happened recently. You-

1. Visit the training yards.

2. Visit the dungeons.

3. Visit the castle temple.

4. Visit the royal garden.

~~5. Go to your room and have an afternoon nap.~~

Ok, we're out of the plot dump false choice spree now. Thanks, everyone for helping me speed it up.

The above choices are all possible destinations. Option 5 advances the plot. The first 4 options, however, can all be taken in any order. Each destination allows us to meet and interact with one of our four Potential Mentors for our future training. I'm going to assume we meet them all for this first run. They've been introduced in the original text prior to now and, as this is our first run, we should get a good look at all of them before making our big decision later about which Mentor we want. Meeting each Mentor will also give me the opportunity to compose posts detailing Daria's government and justice systems, military, religion, and guilds- all of which are of importance to the plot of this game. I want to explore them a little for those new to this game-world. We'll still get to interact with our Mentors a lot too, even the ones whom we don't later train alongside.

So please give me an order of which area you'd like to visit of options 1 to 4 above. I will take the option with the highest number of votes first, then go down the list. Option 5 is off the table until we're done meeting every Mentor.

I can do no more updates today before work. The next one will come either tomorrow morning or afternoon depending on my time and fatigue level when I get home.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 23:14

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Let's do them in order.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 23:25

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

For RP purposes, let's go to the temple first, then the rest in order.

# ? Oct 21, 2017 23:29

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Dungeon first, we need to pick up on our torturing skills.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 01:52

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

In order is fine.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 08:08

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, Dungeons and Temple have specific votes and most people want us to go in order. Dungeons is higher on the list and it has some decision checkpoints, so I'll do that first. Then Temple, Training Yards, and finally Gardens before we nap. Each area has its own choices.

Before we start, I want to say a few words regarding Mentors. The game's 4 Mentors are all of great potential benefit. They each have their own special class they can give you (obvious in most cases), their own sidequest, and different areas of training skill. Relationship Level is of course the key to unlocking all this. There are ways to get minimal early training from all the Mentors and build relations. There are also choices that will spurn the Mentors and earn bad relations if you would rather reject their wisdom. All possible choices will be offered, only two spurnings have benefits to go along with the Evil points and Relationship losses you get for a spurn. Try and guess which options those are if you like, it's a pleasant surprise. I will not spoil them this run, but I might in a second or third one.

Some of the original content is inspired by our current Morality level.

To The Dungeons! posted:

The castle's dungeons are where the kingdom's most notorious criminals are imprisoned. Naturally, other cities in Daria have their own dungeons, but the more serious and local criminals are judged and housed in the royal castle. They are confined on the castle level just above the tunnels where you enjoy stalking rats with Gale.

You aren't sure what brings you to the dungeons this afternoon. Maybe it was Gale's story about a prisoner teaching her to pick locks and move silently. Or perhaps you feel calmed by the visible evidence of criminals facing justice in the area.

The long descent down the stairs seems to take forever as you travel deep below the castle. Your parents are kind monarchs who don't use the dungeons very often, although they are also kind enough to not execute criminals needlessly, so there are always a few poor souls down below.

You reflect on the history of Daria as you descend. In the past, the dungeons have been more overcrowded and dangerous.

Okay, let me explain the history of Daria a bit for those who are interested. If you'd rather skip this exposition, move down to the next quoted bit which is part of the game. Bits concerning Daria's justice system, religion, military, guilds, and magic are coming up as we visit these optional areas in the castle. All are important to the plot, but can be ignored or read later if you so desire. Renata may or may not know all this herself depending on the Skill Levels she earns.

Daria's History, Geography, and Government

Daria's government is a monarchy, as evidenced by its King and Queen. It has both elements of constitutional and absolute monarchy. Throughout Daria's history, monarchs of varied quality have governed by personal whim. Some, like our parents in this game, try to be basically good and just. We can continue that tradition later when we rule the kingdom ourselves, or we can be a despot dictator like some past monarchs have been. It's up to us. Most monarchs are naturally somewhere in between these extremes.

Daria Kings and Queens traditionally wield swords, as in the past the Sword of Kings was an important symbol of the kingdom. They also traditionally have Wizards as primary advisers. Harmond fulfills this role for our parents. Wizards are valued for both their magic used to help the Kingdom and for their knowledge skills. Note that any spellcaster can count as a Wizard. Some Court Wizards have been Good or Evil Archbishops, Sages, Witches and Warlocks who did not graduate from the Academy, and even Archdruids (nature magicians).

In Lucid's previous game Life of a Wizard, your character can serve an insane evil inept King or a good but easily manipulated and also inept King, with varying levels of influence on the King and success in improving the Kingdom and ushering in a Golden Age or a Great War to conquer Daria's neighbors. I'm going to say for purposes of this LP that such events have happened in Daria's history on multiple occasions. It makes sense to do things that way.

Various families have ruled Daria over the years. Some have fallen prey to insanity, jealousy, incompetence, and other troubles, thus losing their power through peaceful impeachment or violent revolution. Peaceful impeachment can come about as the result of a Grand Council of nobles who decide to depose the Kingdom's current ruler and install a new one. We'll be doing that in LH 2 followed by a violent revolution. In LH 1, a violent revolution is also coming soon.

In addition to Monarchs, nobles exist in Daria. Daria is currently divided into 4 provinces, three of which are governed by a Duke, and the fourth under direct Royal control. The Crown has primary control over the army, treasury, trade, and justice systems, but the Dukes are also important. They have some independence in that they can form their own trade deals and armies to defend their provinces. There is concern from our parents that the current Dukes- Bandar, Uddo, and Eddan- are all opposing the Crown in various ways. This impacts the game. Dukes are traditionally consulted on important government decisions and monarchs can give them votes on such matters if they feel like it. Our parents are good and diplomatic, so you can guess where they stand on that. Is this the best idea? Maybe, maybe not.

On the level below Dukes are Lords. These lesser nobles have influence and wealth, but in most cases little actual power otherwise. They like to act superior and in some cases can wield power, but generally they are just the stuffed shirt types you would expect. Prominent nobles in LH include Lady Selena & Lord Weslo (villains), also Lord General Vale & Lord Treasurer Tovar (important allies we'll meet in the second game). Two of our potential party members, Guard Captain Bran/Brinn and Peter/Petra, come from noble families. Nobles can get their titles through inheritance, be raised by a Grand Council formed of other nobles, or be awarded nobility by the Crown in exchange for various services and great deeds. Naturally the common citizens of Daria can become jealous over the latter issue if they feel the award was not properly earned. And nobles can lose their status too, if they do something controversial.

There are other countries and communities neighboring Daria with their own governments. The Jilal Empire and the Valorn Duchy are two such countries that are of concern in Life of a Wizard but not this game. The other communities which play a part in Lost Heir include the major cities that operate within Daria while remaining somewhat independent of its government, various isolated tribes, and the demi-human races.

Daria's prominent cities include Tornassa, the capital, and Vernex, the headquarters of the Consortium of Planewalkers. The Academy of Wizards is also effectively an independent city. Brightwater, Selena's home city, is a large trading port in the southern part of Daria. It's in the same province as Tornassa, but some distance away. It is traditionally a gathering place for nobles and has been the site of many past Grand Councils. Ludd is the capitol of the western Eddan province and also an important trading center. There are also smaller cities such as Opal Cove, home of the elite mercenaries known as the Weapon Masters, and tiny isolated villages such as Elmvale, your character's hometown in Life of a Wizard. We'll be going to Elmvale once the LH childhood level concludes.

There are various isolated human tribes throughout Daria. The northern Norgan Mountain Barbarians are a big feature in the plot, just as in Life of a Wizard. They have their own chiefs, shamans, and witch doctors ruling them. We'll also see two island tribes of cannibals and jungle dwellers and a tribe of gypsies in LH 3.

Of concern in LH 2 are the demi-human communities within and bordering Daria. These include Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, and Halflings. These groups generally keep to their own communities, which have their own rulers, but can interact with Daria's humans in traditional fantasy roles for their races. Dwarves have mines and smiths, Elves archers and spellweavers, Gnomes illusionists and engineers, Halflings thieves and merchants, and Half-Orcs berserk warriors. All these groups have been in alliance and conflict with Daria during its history. A major early decision in Life of a Wizard is whether your home town gets raided by Dwarves, Elves, or Orcs. You can then take revenge on the offending race, or forgive them and reap the benefits. We will have the chance to work with all the demi-humans in LH 2.

Isolated wandering monsters such as Trolls, Kobolds, and Giants exist in LH, but they have no central governments. Mer-People feature in LH 3, but it is specifically said that they were thought a myth before we actually meet them. Goblins are in Life of a Wizard, but not this game, so maybe they're extinct. Full-blooded Orcs also do not appear. Perhaps their proud society with a central strong Chieftain in Life of a Wizard has since collapsed through infighting and various wars.

Both Elves and Orcs can interbreed with humans. Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings can't interbreed with other races, but they can still adopt human children. We'll meet Half-Orcs and Half-Elves important to the plot in LH 2 and 3.

The last thing I'll mention here is the lost civilization of the Som-Reth. As mentioned in Harmond's Lecture on Demon Summoning, these people are an ancient race that died out long ago and left ruins all over Daria's remote areas. They knew the secrets of Demon Summoning and how to take advantage of it. The Consortium of Planewalkers has greatly researched and updated their techniques. The Som'Reth and the reasons why their civilization collapsed are very important to Lost Heir. It'll be a while, but they will come up in the plot prominently and we'll find out what happened to them. Maybe we'll even get an ally or two from their time who somehow still exists in modern time. But I'm not spoiling how that could come about.

Anyway, let's get back to the current plot arc.

Checkpoint! posted:

As you reach the bottom of the dungeon stairway, you face a guard checkpoint. The sergeant on duty is Piett, a castle guard with a high level of dedication. He calls out to you when you finally reach the stairs' last step.

- "Halt! Princess Renata, I'm sorry, I didn't see that it was you. What are you doing here?"

You grin nervously, wondering how you should approach the guard.

1. Lie, "My parents want me to see the prisoners, as part of my education."

2. Reply honestly, "I'm bored and I wanted to see the dungeons."

Proceeding with majority and next topic this afternoon. We'll hopefully meet our first Mentor then.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 15:13

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

Foolish peon, I'll see my dungeons if I want too!

# ? Oct 22, 2017 15:17

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Yea, seeing it's technically our dungeon, no reason not to just be honest.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 15:27

Added Space: Jul 13, 2012; Free Markets
Free People

Curse you Hayard-Gunnes!

Honesty

# ? Oct 22, 2017 15:53

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Either option will work. This guard's pretty gullible and understanding.

Honesty by Majority posted:

"I'm bored and I wanted to see the dungeons."

- "Well, you really shouldn't be here... but, if you stay back from the bars and let me accompany you, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad."

The guard steps to your side and follows as you enter the dungeons. He tells you about some of the defenses and inmates, which gets you thinking about Daria's justice system.

- "That skull once belonged to Krohm the Rohk, an infamous troll demonic lich necromancer. We finally managed to put him down last year, but we're keeping the cell with his skull empty just in case he comes back. That woman there has the same name as you, like a lot of girls that were named around the time you were born. She helped us bring down a crime family competing with the Thieves' Guild, but she still killed a couple people, so she's got to serve some time regardless.

"That guy over there is Giancarlo Joestar, a brawler of serious offense. Next to him is Carl Johnson, the kingdom's most notorious wagon thief. And Wei Shen, whose crimes are so many I really can't list them all. He thinks that being an undercover kingdom guard is an excuse for his crimes, but he's wrong. Careful getting close, he fancies himself a Bard and I really don't want to hear him sing right now. And that's one of the kingdom's more skilled burglars and pickpockets, although he's not in here for any of that..."

The above inmates include some Easter Eggs for past SA Lucid Game characters and a couple famous video game criminals. Unfortunately we can only interact with the last guy. I'll introduce him in the next quoted bit. First...

Daria's Justice System

This is what you'd expect. Normal real world crimes and punishments with a fantasy flavor. Like the government, it's currently pretty fair and impartial, although it's been worse in the past. In Life of a Wizard, you can watch the Mad King execute people without trial for petty offenses. You can do the same in Lost Heir after you become the ruler. Or you can be a good monarch, only getting upset and going dark with certain situations. I usually end up the latter. We'll see why in LH3.

The Dukes have their own jails, and this won't be the only dungeon we'll visit during the LP. The Crown has the power to pardon people, but either they or the Dukes can act as judges. There are also magistrates for lesser offenses and disputes. The current low population of Daria's dungeons is due to two things. First, we have a peaceful just and mostly prosperous government in place, which has the obvious effects on crime. Second, King Brand and Queen Jade have a good agreement with the Thieves' Guild.

The Thieves' Guild, as in most high fantasy worlds with such an entity, operates like the Japanese Yakuza. They are openly known to exist and left in place by the government to help regulate crime. They can train adventurers in stealth and bypassing traps or locks, also sell various items in a black market we'll visit later. The Crown, along with wealthier and more influential nobles and merchants, have agreements with the Thieves' Guild to not rob certain entities, or ransom their stolen goods at fair prices if prompted. Sometimes, they hire the Thieves' Guild to steal from rivals or test their own security arrangements. The Guild can also force criminals to not do unauthorized theft and banditry.

There is no way to be a Thief in Lost Heir without joining the Guild, although you can still steal if you have enough Stealth, Agility, and/or Charm even with no Thief levels (but those help you get all three listed Stats). If your Thief character also becomes ruler (ie, they keep playing long enough), they will get a chance to continue or renegotiate the kingdom's current agreement with the Guild.

There is also an Assassins' Guild in Daria that trains and advertises murder for hire. This Guild doesn't operate as openly and has no black markets. Not everyone wants to accept that it exists. Assassins are not evil, mostly. If they only kill their targets, no innocents, and hide in plain sight while not compromising the Brotherhood, an Assassin can even be Good. LH players can join the Assassins' Guild with the right Mentor, or they can hire it with enough coin to solve a couple obstacles. Some party members will mention it too.

I'll talk more about the Guilds later. There are many non-criminal ones that have influence on the game along with the Thieves and Assassins. We should not forget that certain entities like the Academy of Wizards and Consortium of Planewalkers can also exercise their own judgement on offenders to their policies.

Daria's Nobles generally prefer exercising their own power to cooperating with the Crown, as do the Guilds. But both will bow to and work with monarchs they respect or whom they are forced to respect. Citizens prefer good just monarchs and will support them, but fear often motivates them to work with evil monarchs or monarchs with bad reputation. And sometimes monarchs with low levels of citizen reputation or fear can still find ways to get things done or not. This all plays out later in the game.

Dungeon Crawling posted:

The cell doors are all thick wood with metal bands across them to keep them fortified. Small windows with bars let in a little light and air. You peek through them, but they are mostly empty. The few prisoners you see are lying on their cots or sitting in the corners of their cells. They glare at you, if they even bother to glance your way. One man is different though. He looks through the bars directly at you and smiles.

- "Hello, Your Highness."

1. Reply, "Hello."

2. Look away and continue on.

I'll put the option to walk on back up later. Let's assume we're curious enough to say hello.

Meeting Amos posted:

The man has long straggly grey hair and a matching long beard. He seems very agile, despite his age. He bows to you and smiles.

- "My name is Amos. Pleased to meet you."

The man is moving very quietly as he stands up and bows. You sense that this is as much habit as training. You can also guess that this is the prisoner Gale mentioned, although you're not sure revealing you know what he's been teaching her with Piett around is a good idea. The guard is frowning while he watches your conversation.

- "Please thank your parents for me. The accomodations here are excellent. I know I deserve them. My sentence isn't much longer, and I hope they'll be fair to me when it ends."

1. Befriend Amos and ask why he's in the dungeon.

2. Ignore him and keep walking past.

3. Say, "Guard, have this man whipped for his impertinence at addressing me with such familiarity!"

I cast Cary Elwes as Amos, whose character is best appreciated slowly. We have a number of options for spurning or profiting from his assistance. You can guess what ignoring him does for you (zilch) and having him whipped makes the guard surprised since it's not something your parents would sponsor, but he does it anyway because you're the Prince/ss. If you want to blow your chances with a great Mentor for all Rogue type characters, while picking up some serious Evil Points for being a petty despot, go ahead and do it. I'm going to say we're curious enough to go with Option 1.

What are you in for? posted:

Amos answers you sadly.

- "Murder. I was sneaking through a house when the owner came home. He had a crossbow. We scuffled and it ended up firing into his stomach. I feel bad about it, but that's life."

Amos seems like a nice person, despite his terrible situation. He tells you about his life as a thief, which was usually violence-free, except for that one pivotal night. The guard stands nearby, keeping an eye on things but not interfering with the conversation.

1. Ask, "If you're such a good thief, why don't you pick this lock and escape?"

2. Ask, "So, how do you walk so silently?"

3. Ask, "Why did you do it?"

4. Say, "A filthy murderer like you should be hung."

Option 3 is free, so...

Why'd you do it? posted:

Amos lets out a sad sigh.

- "Money. Not the best of motives, but it's one that drives most thieves."

1. Ask, "If you're such a good thief, why don't you pick this lock and escape?"

2. Ask, "So, how do you walk so silently?"

3. Say, "A filthy murderer like you should be hung."

4. Nod and keep walking past.

I condensed some choices here for flow, now to see what bonus you want from this guy. I'll make the next update tomorrow morning if I can.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 22:46

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

We already got some stealth from Gale so... How do you walk silently?

# ? Oct 22, 2017 22:55

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

Whip 'em good!

# ? Oct 22, 2017 22:58

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Teach me your silent ways.

# ? Oct 22, 2017 23:16

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, quick decision here. Good. Sorry I wasn't able to update before now.

How do you walk silently? posted:

Amos smirks.

- "You know, that friend of yours, Gale, asked me the same question... The trick is all in the foot placement. You see, the toes need to arch just as the heel comes down�."

The guard Piett frowns when Amos tells you this.

- "Relax, Sergeant, I've been teaching a servant girl who's friends with the Princess to be a Royal Spy. The Princess obviously got curious about the same things."

- "A spy? Not a thief like you?"

- "Of course not! Why would I want anyone I care about to live the life I did? Look where it got me! Now, Princess, if you'll pay attention..."

You tell Piett, "It's okay, I want to learn this."

He nods and steps back.

- "First rule of stealth, don't be noticed. Second rule, if the first rules fails, have a good cover story ready. The truer the better, like the true story I just gave."

You almost expect him to wink, but he does not.

- "Now back to my advice on walking softly..."

The conversation continues and you learn a little about silent walking. Some time later, the guard tells you that it's time to leave. (Amos +5 Relationship and Stealth +3)

The Relationship stat for Amos does not appear on our character sheet, so I assume it's hidden at least till we pick him as a Mentor, if we do. The other bonus is awarded regardless. Now for some original info.

Bad Guys are up to something... posted:

Amos says goodbye before you go.

- "Maybe I'll get to show you advanced techniques some time. I can only teach so much in a few minutes. Just remember what I said- don't be noticed, arch your feet, be mindful of cover and noise sources. I hear you're a good rat catcher, that's a start. Above all, observe your surroundings and think about varied ways to approach the situation and what other people might be doing. For example..."

Piett coughs, but Amos holds up a pleading hand. You wave him to continue.

- "Gale came to me a short time before you did. She was worried about the Consortium delegation that's visiting the castle at the moment, said they were acting suspicious. She couldn't give much details, so I told her to get more information. You might want to check out what they're doing yourself. I heard they were visiting the Temple, Training Yards, and Royal Garden amongst other places. The Treasury's near the Temple, I wonder if that's their target."

- "Would it be your target if you weren't in here, thief?"

- "No. That'd be against Guild policy. Besides, the lock on this cell would be difficult even if I had my tools. The lock on the Royal Vault is surely even better."

You want to ask him to elaborate, but Piett insists on escorting you out. As you leave, the prisoner Wei Shen starts singing a song about fighting the law and losing. Amos looks wistful as he listens.

- "Maybe I should have been a Bard. Even the bad ones are entertaining sometimes..."

- "Sorry, your Highness. If you're insistent and can get permission from your parents, maybe I'll let that man teach you more later."

You shrug, knowing he is just doing his job. Piett leads you back to the foot of the stairs where you begin your long journey back to the castle's main levels. During your walk, you decide to visit the other areas Amos mentioned and look for evidence as to what the Consortium might be doing that Gale found suspicious, as Amos advised.

1. Visit the training yards.

2. Visit the temple.

3. Visit the royal garden.

4. Go to your room and have an afternoon nap.

Ok, per previous vote, Temple is next. While we're walking there, let's talk a little about...

Religion in Daria

All prominent races in Daria have their own belief systems and gods. Of greatest concern for Lost Heir is the human gods. They're in two camps, Good and Evil. The Good gods in the game world are led by Lucien and Auriel. They represent kindness, honor, justice, and so on. Opposing them are the Evil gods, led by Noct and Shadi. These gods preside over corruption, cruelty, disease, etc. Every god is either good or evil, including custom gods an LH player might create. Followers of either group of gods are expected to embody their deity's views on the Morality scale.

As previously discussed when we contemplated picking up a Holy Symbol, the Morality meter can play a big role in this game when it comes to Religious players who choose to take Priest levels. I did some game play thrus to remind myself about Priests in LH recently and was reminded that Priest class powers are tied to their Morality. How Good or Evil a Priest is fuels their powers. Priest levels need to pass Morality Checks to do things like Heal Wounds (either Good or Evil), Repel Undead (Good Priest), or Command Undead (Evil Priest). Paladins and Dark Knights also require high levels of either respective Morality to serve their causes. How many levels you can pick up in the Priest class is also tied to your alignment and how faithfully you follow your deity's ways.
So, if we're going to play a religious character, we will need to play to a certain morality level. But we already knew that. Here are some things not previously revealed:

- In Daria, Good Gods are worshipped openly. They are honored in temples by priests of varying skill. Among the Good Gods, Auriel probably plays the biggest game role, starting in LH2 with a cleric of her we'll meet. We also get to see a few religious ceremonies and other events dedicated to the Good Gods depending on events we witness.

- In contrast to the Good Gods, the Evil Gods are generally worshipped in secret. Their followers disguise Holy Symbols, use secret signs to recognize each other, and do other things to keep themselves hidden. The reasons for this should be obvious. We'll visit a few evil shrines and temples in the game which we can plunder for rewards. Of course, neither a good nor an evil Priest should have qualms about looting such places.

- Some Good Gods also have secret orders and rites to separate their Priests from the crowd. The cleric of Auriel we'll get to know in LH 2 is a member of such an order. They keep secret information regarding Demon Summoning, which Good Gods generally consider Evil along with the other Forbidden Magics Soulburning and Necromancy. But more on those later when we discuss Magic in the game.

- There are seven types of religion-related classes in Lost Heir. Priest is the one that concentrates on spellcasting. Cleric (which requires a level of Priest before you take it) is a more martial class that allows you to keep your Priestly powers while getting some extra combat skill. It's a prerequisite for Paladin, which is the holy warrior class most readers of high fantasy should be familiar with. Paladins need to be both Clerics and some kind of dedicated honorable warriors- Guards or Squires, not Thugs. It is assumed that Clerics belong to a more militant order of Priests like the real life Knights Templar or Hospitalier. Peter/Petra, if present in the party, is such a character. Devotion varies amongst Priests and Clerics, as do other things including celibacy. It is possible to be a Priest and still have sexual relations, or be celibate if you so choose. Archbishop is the top level of Priest.

- Dark Knights are the Evil equivalent of Paladins. They have a different path though. If you want to be a Dark Knight, Cleric levels are unnecessary. Instead you must be a Squire, then become a Knight but be following an Evil God as you do so and using that God's aid to decieve the Knighthood about your lack of chivalry (Squires ordinarily have to follow chivalry to become Knights, as the game points out for that class). Both Paladins and Dark Knights get a test in which they must respond as a Good or Evil person would before they get their class levels.

- Then we have Druids, who worship nature and with it fuel their magic. These spellcasters are tradtionally neutral in fantasy, but in Lost Heir they can be good or evil. Evil Druids can become Druids of Decay and get some extra abilities in LH3. The more powerful Druids get animal companions and can shape-change into animals.

- Monks are a new and interesting class for the game. They are religious but not restricted in alignment. They concentrate on Unarmed combat and Knowledge Skills over the spellcasting of the typical Priest. We're about to meet a Monk in the castle temple. Keep in mind that she is not a Monk with Chi, which are the super-cool fantasy Monks able to do things like astral projection and punch through walls. Those Monks have to complete a specific side quest early in Lost Heir 2 to get their powers. They are acknowledged as rare. Monks in general do not have Morality restrictions, although you can take advantage of your moral karma in a couple of Monk exclusive side quests to meditate and get various stats. It is not necessary for a Monk to follow a deity as it is for a Priest. Nor are they required to be celibate, although Sister Geri did choose such an order. Player Characters who become Monks do not have to do that.

- The game allows you to create custom Good or Evil Gods for your Priests and other God-following characters if you like. So we can easily do Hieronius the Smiter, Cthulhu, or whoever should we make Renata a Priestess later. Cthulhu can also be the name of a Good or Evil God- we can do dark scary traditional Cthulhu or warm funny misunderstood Cthulhu, perhaps fresh from saving the world.

Renata has been more Good than Evil thus far, but is still pretty much on the fence overall. I can support continuing the Good path or a Start of Darkness aided by the game either way. We'll bring up Morality again at the appropriate time. Suffice to say that things like kindness, helping others, refusing rewards, and donating to charity award Good points. Evil points are given for murder, theft (successful or otherwise), pranks, mischief, and bad attitude. You get plenty of opportunities for both throughout the game.

Now let's meet someone seriously religious in the appropriate place-

The Castle Temple posted:

The large structure is devoted to all of the gods, as most temples are. The priests usually devote themselves to specific deities, but your parents have always encouraged freedom of religion for all of Daria. The temple is mostly empty with only a few people praying at the various alcoves.

You notice the alcoves dedicated to Good Gods are open and lit while those dedicated to Evil Gods are shrouded in shadow. The former areas are more occupied. You recall that your parents set up the Evil shrines to acknowledge the Evil Gods and perhaps placate them. Sometimes you wonder if this was truly wise or whether it will be counterproductive in the long run. You do not see any Consortium members in the temple area. As you contemplate this, a voice addresses you.

- "How can I help you today, Princess Renata?"

Sister Geri is Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. She looked right when I searched for pictures of bald female monks and I realized that Indian martial artists are under-represented in fantasy when I contemplated the issue further. Compared to other Asians at least.

What bonus here? posted:

You turn your head to see a short bald woman in robes. You've seen Sister Geri before. She is a regular fixture in the temple. Although many monks choose a particular god to worship, she is the exception, choosing to worship all of them. She respects both Good and Evil Gods, acknowledging the power to be gained from each. Your friend Petra considered her a great source of wisdom, while Gale has never liked her for whatever reason. You yourself are unsure how you feel about the Sister personally and what, if anything, you want from her. Her words are usually clear, at other times confusing. You do recall that she once adventured with your parents and saved their lives on more than one occasion. Perhaps she can give you some wise teachings if you approach her in the right way.

1. Ask, "Did you really fight off four bandits at once?"

2. Ask, "Is divine magic that much different from normal magic?

3. Say, "Get away from me, you bald little freak."

If we can get positive interaction with this Mentor also, I'll reveal more custom details about the bad guys' plans. I'll see what bonus we want this afternoon, then move on to the next location.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 15:43 on Oct 23, 2017

# ? Oct 23, 2017 15:41

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

Uh, step back freak show.

# ? Oct 23, 2017 15:51

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Teach me your kung-fu, sifu!

# ? Oct 23, 2017 16:24

Added Space: Jul 13, 2012; Free Markets
Free People

Curse you Hayard-Gunnes!

What's the deal with magic?

# ? Oct 23, 2017 18:47

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