The Adventurer's Log

Starting from last place and working up:

5. Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire

To be honest, I’ve been flip flopping on whether to put this in the fifth or fourth slot. More objectively I think it probably should go in the fourth slot, but as I actually played through rank 4 and got some enjoyment out of it, unlike my inability to play through this one I’m placing it here. With some regret. Maybe in the future they’ll flip! Nothing’s truly set in stone.

I think any single issue I have wouldn’t have been enough to keep me away, but there are just enough combined that kept me at bay.

The transition to 3D graphics. It’s not the worst certainly and if you look at it with the other games you can still see it as being Quest for Glory (unlike King’s Quest Mask of Eternity for instance), but it’s still early 3D with some muddiness. And that especially hurts after how nice III and IV look.

Relatedly the UI. I don’t like it. The layout of HP and stamina and the hot bar of items that brings something like Diablo to mind. I don’t like how small the text is during narration. I don’t like how small the portaits are and how disconnected they are from their text. Everything about the text and portraits feels disconnected like they’re all just floating around.

I hesitate to call out the combat here because quite frankly I’m not into the combat in any of the games, but in combination with point 2, it’s more standard ARPG, so it’s another ding against the QFG feel for me.

The main plot is a gathering of heroes to Silmaria to participate in rites of rulership as the former king was assassinated and there’s a danger of a dragon once sealed coming unsealed and bringing destruction. Perfectly serviceable plot, but the rites and the competition nature of them just isn’t to my personal taste. I hold it against the game only for my personal ranking, but not at all for the quality of the game.

A couple other specific complaints:

You can get married and there are options as to whom. I can take or leave that, but my main complaint is that nothing really comes of it. You propose, get your little reponse as she accepts and that’s it. There doesn’t seem to be anything that comes of it at the end. Depending on who you marry she may not even be there at the end. It kind of feels like it was an afterthought.

I can’t speak for the other classes, but the thief at least has some really finicky, and I’d say needlessy finicky at points, requirements for its quest chain. One example being having to show Elsa the thief sign but for some reason doing so when she’s visiting you in your inn room doesn’t count?? That level of ‘but why?’ finickiness.

The ending. Considering it’s the end of the series, it feels very quick and underwhelming. The deeds all the adventurers in the rites did get talked about in brief, then you’re offered kingship which you can accept or refuse. If you accept, there’s a brief cheer and done. For being the final end I’d expect a bit more Something. Some narration touching on how far you’ve come from setting out on your first adventure or how Silmaria will enjoy a new era of peace. Just something to wrap it up on a series level… QFG II had a way meatier ending and it was only the second game. It left a bit flat feeling for me.

That’s a lot of negative points. On to the positive.

It really is a culmination of past threads. You meet Elsa again. You find out what happened to Julanar—Salim really did go get her and finish freeing her from being a tree—and she’s here too. Erasmus is there having summoned you. Rakeesh is around. Events lead to a possibility of bringing either Erana or Katrina back. So, it’s fun to see a bunch of past characters and those threads of continuity.

It’s still recognizably Quest for Glory. That shouldn’t be something I keep coming back to, but after King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity really not feeling at all like a King’s Quest, I’m cheering on QFG V. And it still has its silliness and puns and some funny death messages in there.

Some of the items like pizza or a box of chocolates have their own little jingles when you’re focused on them in the inventory and I think that’s just cute. I love silly details like that.

There’s a gnome! She’s definitely not my favourite of the gnomes, but every game should have one, looking at you, QFG III. Just for series consistency, you know.

While various plot elements aren’t to my personal taste, I can still appreciate it overall on a more objective stance. Plus even beyond class variety, there are other points of variability to shake up one playthrough in comparison to another. Not all points I’d want to ever see happen—like Rakeesh can die—but I still appreciate the variety.

Ultimately, it’s a game that is a product of its era and doesn’t quite align with my personal tastes. But I think it’s still a perfectly fine entry, and it’s nice it was able to happen at all, and bring an actual end to the series, as that almost didn’t happen.

4. Quest For Glory III: Wages of War

If I were to use one word for this game it would be undercooked. It wasn’t originally planned and I can only assume that had its effects. Obviously, I can’t say, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were ideas cut for time and budget constraints. There were things that felt like they should have been more fleshed out and needed that fleshing out.

The danger of war between the Leopardmen and Simbani, but we really don’t get much of the Leopardmen overall.

There’s background information about the demons and related events that happen, but you don’t even know who or what your main villain really is until you’re fighting him at the end which leads to feeling like just a random guy.

The Lost City makes for a cool final area, but you barely see any of it! That could have made for a great ending chunk, but I felt hurried through what little there was of it.

The classes feel pretty unbalanced in what they’re given to do. Thieves and wizards feel shortchanged, especially thieves in my opinion.

The whole plot felt like it was missing something or the pacing was off, or both. Something never really quite gelled for me.

A couple of other general complaints:

The random encounters drove me nuts. Too many.

Minor complaint about the UI but I wish there were labels or tooltips of some kind on the spell icons.

The ending fight felt like a ‘here’s your villain!… and now say bye to your villain.’ just kind of anticlimactic.

Not a single gnome to be seen!!

However, this is in the number four slot after all; there are things I do like.

I think it’s a lovely looking game. I really like the artwork and portraits, and the occasional full art piece (a bafflingly posed Liontaur aside).

While the random encounters drove me up a wall, I didn’t mind the actual combat itself for what it is as much as I’ll take any of the series combat.

It’s a pretty graceful transition into point and click along with how it handles conversation options and topics.

More Rakeesh! Good to see him come home. Uhura too.

While I have my complaints about the ending area, it wasn’t without its cool bits too. The mirror battle was neat and a little freaky.

Manu is cute. He feels a bit thrown in for the sake of having another character for the end, but cute.

QFG III is a mixed bag that comes with its own particular brand of frustration because I can see the potential but it doesn’t live up to itself. That’s more frustrating to me in a way than a game just being bad. It’s not bad! But it could be so much better! I rank it at 4 instead of 5 because I still played through it, and for all the things that bother me, I still did get some enjoyment out of it. As I said for 5, these could flip in the future, but for now this where I’ve settled.

3. Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero

The start of the top 3 where things could also oscillate in the future. Heck, I could even see the order being affected by what class I play. For now it’s rank 3 because something has to be. I really enjoyed all three of the remaining games.

It’s one of those series beginnings that’s both exciting because it’s all new, but also a little comfy because it is the start and so the stakes aren’t as high. It’s a combination of feelings I can really appreciate.

There’s a great sense of exploration that leads to fun, if sometimes dangerous, discoveries like the fairies or meeps. Or the antwerp. Or Braugi or the dryad etc. It’s a good variety of things to find. There’s danger that makes getting back to town or Erana’s Peace a relief, especially early on because you’re just starting out, you’re a wimp, but it’s not stressfully aggravating danger.

The plot’s pretty simple, but has the nice wrinkle in the bandit chief turning out to be Elsa and Yorick looking out for her all that time.

If I had any negatives they would be:

Once again not a fan of the combat.

Wizard specific: I like Erasmus! I do not like his game!

Also wizard specific: Because of the need to buy spells it feels very easy to get yourself in a tight corner with money. I had a rough go of things at first due to that.

There isn’t a way to pass time in chunks if you’re waiting for a specific point.

That’s kind of it really.

While there may not be as many points that stick out to me as strongly as points in the next two entries, I don’t have any big complaints either. There are fun elements and characters to find and interact with. I can’t comment on fighters, but from wizard and thief, it seems like the classes are well-balanced for having class specific things to do. It’s very good at setting the stage for what to expect of the series in tone and humour, and puts characters in place that will appear later as well. Also it’s just fun sometimes to play with a text parser. A very solid series start and I do look forward to revisiting it at some point. Whether or not I’ll be able to resist playing a wizard again remains to be seen.

2. Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire

I was slightly apprehensive going into it even, or because of, watching it first, due to the navigation mainly. Getting around Shapeir is a pain. I got lost very easily and I’m so glad you can use the map to move instantly to places you’ve already been. I would have been more nervous of the calendar/time limit, but it’s so generous that it didn’t end up being a stressor. I started with apprehension and ended up having a great time with it myself.

My main issues are the navigation as stated. Beyond being confusing and easy to get lost, the alleyways/streets are also really boring. Everything looks the same.

Relatedly, the desert is also boring. It’s huge but there’s not a lot of stuff in there. You’ve got Julanar, the oasis, and the beast cage, and I think that’s it? It feels like it’s mainly there to get lost and die in. It IS pretty at night though. Credit where credit’s due.

All in all, though, that didn’t hamper my enjoyment as much as I might have expected. There can be a hurry up and wait vibe depending on how quickly you resolve things, but it lent a chill vibe for me that I didn’t mind at all. And of course you’re not totally bereft of things to do outside the elementals. I liked the Wizard’s Institute of Technocery stuff—going through the wizards to pick one as your mentor has some entertaining results. I liked the Julanar quest (even if I wish we could have been the ones to finish things off). And there’s always time to practice skills. And time’s easier to pass with resting in intervals, and free resting at that! Getting to stay for free at the inn was lovely and having a welcoming place and food to always come back to was nice.

Of course I can’t let this go by without mentioning Keapon Laffin. Keep gnoming on you puntastic being you.

Or the totally-just-a-normal-saurus.

And of course, the final chunk. I admit it’s probably that alone that’s elevating this one above the first game. It stands out among the series endings between the atmosphere of Raseir, Ad Avis taking control of you and the accompanying narration, the scariness of the cave and the urgency at the end to stop him. Though I am glad I wasn’t playing a thief—the rope walking at the end looked like it would drive me completely batty.

Then it all culminates in an ending that actually feels like a game ending. Time was actually given to celebrate and wrap up some threads. The last scene with your hero and saurus in the desert ready to head out on another adventure is a nice wrap-up too.

Maybe on a future replay I and II will flip but for now I feel comfortable slotting II into rank 2.

1: Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness

And that brings us to rank 1, my favourite, which is of course Shadows of Darkness. It’s funny, I’m not particularly into horror or vampires or eldritch horrors, but there’s enough of a balance with other folklore and fantasy it works for me I guess. And it still retains the humour of the series.

My main issue with the game is I never really gelled with the combat and used the Strategy mode to simply guide the computer for me, but even then I never felt like I quite got it.

I also know it was infamous for bugginess but the GOG version must be more fixed? I never ran into any issues anyway, though it was definitely a background worry.

Otherwise, I don’t have much in the way of complaints.

I love how, maybe ironically, alive Mordavia feels. Give me NPCs who regularly change their dialogue as things progress and I’m a happy camper and they all have something going with them as well. I actually started feeling attached to Mordavia in a way I never really quite did with any of the other game locations, though Shapeir was coming close.

I like that it has the same kind of style of map exploration as the first game. It’s also pretty! And Autumn-y and I do like Autumn themeing. It also felt easier to navigate than QFG 1 thanks to being able to examine and get some narration pointers in directions.

Fun voice acting and I absolutely love John Rhys-Davies doing the narration.

As a wizard I felt like I had plenty to do, especially after III. The opening of the game was great for the mystery and spooky atmosphere, but I also loved having magic things to do. Repeatedly!

There was also some nice continued threads with Baba Yaga and Erana.

My favourite soundtrack in the series, as well.

It nailed a combination of elements that worked very well for me. I’m looking forward to a future replay as a paladin. I’m very curious about that route.

--

Quest for Glory as a whole

Déjà Vu

Summary:

It’s 1942 and you wake up in a seedy bathroom with no idea how you got here or, for that matter, who you are. You grab a .38 hanging on the door, stumble up the stairs and find some stiff slumped over a desk with three bullet holes in him. You check your gun. Three bullets are missing. This is gonna be a bad day.

Wander, find evidence, avoid getting mugged or arrested. Find a way to heal fix your memory.

It was... fine. I wonder if it would have been a little better as a one session game. I did it in two with a five day gap so I was a little lost and out of touch with things on my second session.

I didn't feel like there were many puzzles. There was a lot of just find stuff and sometimes had to shoot things. There were a few things, but overall eh.

I read the original had a time limit with actions counting as 'turns'. And honestly in some ways that was probably better. I mean from a time saving point it was good for me especially since I was eh on the game anyway, but if you did have to worry about 'turns' you'd need to think more about what to actually take and employ some strategy. I was just taking everything I could get my greedy hands on--I've been trained by other adventure games! Steal a man's chocolate? Sure! Completely clean out a medicine cabinet? Yeah! My inventory was a disaster. I guess my greedy ways were punished a bit in that it was a nuisance to get through my inventory repeatedly. Still, the turn limit was maybe a key feature that shouldn't have been removed to keep up the tension and stakes. I was getting warnings of not feeling so good and whatnot but nothing comes of it.

I still died or got a game-over eight times.

Deaths: 8 Sewer alligator Blown up by a car bomb Fell in a construction pit... twice. The same pit--victim of my gap between sessions Arrested at the police station and never regained memory Arrested after not paying a taxi driver Got shot Arrested at the end for still holding incriminating evidence

Alligator guest spot of honour.

The end after a little monologue as only befits a private detective

So that was Déjà Vu.

(side note and complaint/eye-roll/heavy sigh: did we really need the kidnapped woman to be 400 pounds and have descriptions riddled with fat phobia? Reaaaally? There was 0 reason for that. 80s and 90s media for you... except fatphobia is still rampant, whoo).

Next up....

--

The Uninvited

Summary:

The last thing you remember was a figure appearing in the middle of the road and the sound of your sister’s screams over the screeching tires. When you come to, you discover two horrifying things: your sister is missing and the mansion that now looms before you seems to be calling your name…

I enjoyed this one a lot more than Déjà Vu and Déjà Vu feels even more bland to me now in comparison and after some time away from it. The Uninvited is also more my genre of choice being more horror fantasy. I enjoyed its atmosphere more in wandering the mansion and its outer areas.

There were more puzzles, albeit some obtuse ones (using a spider to scare a ghost? Really? Really?). There are also a few spells! They're very limited in use, but it's fun having them in a game.

While searching the mansion you get the basic background story from diaries and scrolls and beyond rescuing your sister you have to deal with the main villain you learn of... and a demon. I'm not sure how the two were related exactly, but the place was full of bad things now, so... I guess it's just all connected in evil doings.

In the original version there's time limit done by "turns", so a number of actions. That's not present in this version. I'm sure I would have been doomed if it was. I was definitely bumbling and fumbling and wandering.

I died a lot. 23 times that I counted, but I stopped counting my deaths to Dracan. I was struggling with what to do with him. So, 23+ times.

I saw this screen a lot:

My deaths:

1: car fire at the start 2: killed by ghost lady x4 3: trapped in a cell x2 4: killed by a ghost x2 5: Ate fruit and rapidly aged to death 6: killed by a ghost with acid x4 7: killed by giant spider despite all warnings. I had to try! 8: killed by starving animals x2 9: killed by Dracan x3 10: killed by giant spider x2 11: killed by demon

There's also a cute demon imp critter I recognized from Beyond Shadowgate. That was a fun to see! These are the kind of connections I wanted to play these for in the first place.

Hi, buddy, hi.

And some live if disjointed thoughts as I was playing in a Bluesky thread here: https://bsky.app/profile/siverwrites.bsky.social/post/3m4lscyhyfs2k

Another one down.

And finally...

--

Shadowgate

Summary:

The wind whistles through the halls as you step through the stone threshold. You’ve just entered Shadowgate, a once shining castle, now an evil, dark smouldering ruin. Swallow your fear and take up your torch. You are the ‘Seed of Prophesy’ and in your hand lies the fate of the world itself.

You've been sent by Lakmir to stop the evil warlock. Like Uninvited you find more of the story and lore as you go along like learning a bit about the Circle of Twelve from which the evil warlock came and betrayed them.

I watched a Let's Play of it along with Beyond Shadowgate, which is what led to all this. So, unlike the previous two, this one wasn't blind for me and more of a touring romp with a few sticky points I didn't quite remember, but otherwise yeah, just enjoyed the ride and stressed about torches.

Because unlike the previous two losing their time-limits, this one has torches that dwindle down and if you let one die you die. There are several to pick up along the way but it's still scary...

It's a pretty ignoble sad death too.

Trip in the dark and die.

It's harder for me to judge since I already mostly knew what I was doing, but I feel like it has more obtuse things, or just very easily missable points to interact with (the thing to get the water... the spot to put the rod... for some reason...), than Uninvited and Uninvited definitely has some as well. But, I feel like I would have gotten more nastily stuck in Shadowgate especially while worrying about torch usage. I can see getting part way and running out of torches so you reset with what you know to be more efficient and progress that way. Old games!

I had fun with my wander through anyway.

I died a lot regardless, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidentally.

Deaths I counted. I might've missed a couple: 21

1: took book and fell down pit trap 2: fell down a broken ladder 3: Slimed 4: Fell down a hole 5: torch died x2 6: dragon fire 7: sucked into space through a portal 8: cut down by mirror shards 9: bridge troll death x2 10: killed by a mutated dog 11: pot of gold trap 12: crushed by granite slab 13: plunged into lava 14: death by gargoyles 15: killed by hellhound x2 16: killed by wyvern 17: jumped down a well and went squish 18: placed wrong thing in wrong spot 19: killed by warlock 2 or 3 times

But in the end I saved the day and defeated the evil Warlock.

And that's my little overview of all three games. It was fun to experience these and continue playing some old adventure games I missed.

Not as much as Uninvited but a live thread here for Shadowgate too: https://bsky.app/profile/siverwrites.bsky.social/post/3m4mkoc34yk2c

Afterthoughts:

Man, I didn't even die that much in Déjà Vu. It's just fallen further down in my regard as I played the other two. It just felt bland!

I was reminded there's a sequel coming for The Uninvited by the same team as Beyond Shadowgate and I'm interested, so that's back on my radar. I had found out but forgot.

There's just something comfy about the interfaces in these games. They are not cozy! But it's like, I dunno, snuggling down with a good book. Although getting through all the inventory can be a bit of a hassle once it piles up. Of course you don't need to pick up everything, but adventure games instincts say I do (except at the spot you can't in Shadowgate 'cause you'll get incinerated). So. Mess of inventory for me.

I went to the castle and castle gate was open at last for me.

Here we go.

I entered to the Great Hall to find Katrina, Ad Avis and presumably Cuddles the Necrotaur. Katrina was immediately passive-aggressive: "What a good boy you are. You would never do anything to hurt me, would you? Unlike some others I could name."

Then she addressed me and took us all straight to the Dark One's Cave.

She opened the mouth and then told me I had to do the rest. I needed to find the last Ritual with the High Priest and needed it before beginning the other Rituals. And she told me to be careful.

Ad Avis was snide and sneering. "We would hate for anything unpleasant to happen to you."

I might have found the High Priest immediately?

I entered to see some kind of oozy creature anyway. With a gross description:

I did not need a cross between squid and chocolate pudding. The narration further added that something about its appearance suggested it was once human, so yeah I'm going with High Priest here.

And there was a book near it. I tried Fetch, but that'd be too easy. Critter just lashed out and stopped it. However a Calm Spell put it to sleep and then I could Fetch it. It was easy after all. The book was the diary of the last Boyar confirming that critter was him. The last page had the Ritual of Essence, so that makes all of them. I had to figure out how and where to use them...

I went to the cave where I first appeared as it seemed to be the only place I could reach and it had the altar. I had to get the lighting right, so I put back my trusty torch.

Sand was on the altar and there were lines in it like it had once formed a picture. I placed the Dark One's Sign on it and formed an image of it in the sand. The Sign sunk into the sand and vanished. I'm finally rid of it I guess.

Then I used the Ritual of Bone, I'd say because this place is all bone, but it just happened to be first in my list... and only then it clicked for me. I was told this place WAS the Dark One. I've been waiting for the valves to open, so one ritual for each based on what they are...

Avoozl is said with such gravity and was said several times. I am having a little trouble taking that name seriously I admit. Don't get me wrong, still all very eerie. Just... Avoozl sounds a bit silly especially drawn out a little. Avooozl.

I got caught in a bone cage after this Ritual was complete. Teach me to laugh at its name.

Open spell didn't work--too much chaos twisting my spells. But a combination of Flame Dart, Frost Bite and Force Bolt broke them.

The next valve started wiggling more in the central room becoming available for me to enter.

Well there had to be somewhere hellish looking in here... in the more hot looking red sense that is. The whole place is kind of hellish after all.

By examining this altar, this one was clearly the Ritual of Blood.

Ergh.

After conducting the ritual acidy red stuff started flowing all over from the stone statue and blocking my way out. I had to freeze it with Frost Bite, to stop it long enough to get out.

Onto the next one and not sure what to make of this one exactly.

Tentacle flutes? Horns?

There were also bubble-like stones around.

I needed the Ritual of Breath this time.

Once complete I sensed an awakening, but also had the sense it was expecting something more. Trying to use the tentacles to blow into them just got me sucked in and killed...because I did the wrong ones. Follow the ritual words: right, left and centre. Though the structure is all a bit hard to make out in my defence.

That started a wind blowing like its breath coming through the now open door at the back and I got sucked in. A calm spell and then open got me out, but I think it was bugged or something the first time. The calm worked but the Open did nothing and I had to reload.

Next one was all dark.

Well, it was obvious this would be the Sense Ritual anyway. I could see me and my icon and that was it. I just walked whatever routes it would let me and as I progressed my senses came back one by one until the room was fully revealed with sight.

Once the ritual was complete the dendrite got lightning and I got zapped a couple times leaving. There was a probably a way to avoid that... but I survived and got out, so if it works it works.

And that just left the Heart Ritual for the centre.

Once the ritual was complete a passage opened above the stone heart.

A dramatic levitation up!

I entered an inner structure with a large crystal. Katrina and Ad Avis were waiting and Katrina commanded me to perform the final Ritual. Soon Darkness would return to the land and she would never be helpless in her coffin again. She taunted Ad Avis too calling him jealous of her triumph when he'd failed to summon Iblis thanks to my actions. Yeah, taunt the angry vampire man.

I recited the last Ritual which got very unpleasant.

Katrina was triumphant, but ya know things can't be that easy even for the antagonists.

Ad Avis zapped me and I was left dangling.

They started fighting each other, but he couldn't directly harm her. So he launched a spell at me.

Katrina threw herself at me in defence and a shadowy tendril of Avoozl took her away. Ad Avis knew that spell would attract Avoozl and she was lost to the Darkness.

That empowered Cinder Win though.

And I was able to get back up.

I summoned Erana's Staff and he wasn't particularly phased by that. He had protections against my magic. This took me a few tries to figure out as none of my spells were doing anything. I got some deaths.

And dying wasn't enough oh no! I had to listen to Ad Avis gloat about taking the town and the peasants being his fodder now that they were no longer protected by Erana's Staff. And then I got the rise of Avoozl.

It took me a few tries to figure out what to do before I landed on talking with options. Most of the options simply led to more disdain from Ad Avis.

Except one.

Oh one I was told about, but forgot. One I was told to use against a big bad trying to do me in.

The Ultimate Joke.

Ad Avis got to still be disdainful, but despite that he was compelled to laugh anyway.

And I force bolted him off the platform. Ad Avis meets his demise by falling again... falling laughing now. What a way to go.

I... I wasn't expecting that and I had forgotten it amidst everything else. After a brief bit of reflection I did decide after all his pride and taunting me, there is something satisfying in taking him down like that.

I just...

I was essentially saved by Punny Bones. That's harder to swallow. Quite a win for gnomes I suppose.... he's still no Yorick or Keapon Laffin.

Things weren't over quite yet. I had to use Erana's Staff with the crystal and then Erana's spirit was freed. Freed, she was able to drive Avoozl back to its dimension.

After four games there she is at last! Outside a portrait in the WIT (that was just Genesta...). Stories were that she was part-faerie. She looks fully faerie to me...

However, she was only a spirit and it would take more magic than she had ever known before we'd be able to be together again, so she could only thank me.

Everything resolved! I got a two weeks later message--nice to know my hero got a break--and a party was held for me in the castle.

A full gathering! With some other random people I don't know too.

The swamps were drying up so trade would be able to reopen. The king sent word and appointed Dmitri as the new Boyar. Good for him!

I'm sorry I didn't trust you at first.

One by one the remaining townsfolk and Davy thanked me for everything I'd done for them.

Still not over just yet. Erasmus finally got the crystal ball focused now the Dark One's influence was gone. They could see me at last. Fenrus said it was either a reward ceremony or a lynch mob. Thanks buddy.

Silmaria is in need of a hero and "everyone knows a Hero has to go where a Hero has to go."

I ended another game being teleported away. But at least I know by whom and why this time!

And I got to actually see Erasmus and Fenrus.

I was given my final character sheet.

497/500 points. Three points off! Oh well, that seems pretty darn good for a first time to me.

Maxed out intelligence and Flame Dart (of course).

Got congratulated for finishing the game along with the usual nudge to replay as a different class and to look forward to future Quest for Glory.

That's Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness complete and what a ride!

--

Final Thoughts

My favourite of the series so far and my second favourite Sierra game of what I've played/watched. King's Quest VI still comes on top for me.

I'll get my negatives out of the way first.

Combat. I continue to not be fond of it in this series. I ultimately settled for strategy mode. Maybe I should have tried the more manual arcade version more, but eh. Just never got comfortable with it. On the bright side the combat rate is low, especially felt so after my frustrations with the third game, and running away doesn't take so long freaking long, and there are various locations you can get to that'll stop the thing chasing you anyway.

Some glitchiness. I didn't run into anything game breaking for the most part except the possible lock-up when I got stuck in the lung hole near the end there, but a reload fixed that. There were some spots where the narration would cut out and a spot where the text zipped by. There was at least one spot where the wrong voice clip got used.

Now I've played through I also see where it's possible to get softlocked if you don't get the doll from the Domovoi since he stops showing up after a while. I don't know if that's actually a bug or deliberate or an oversight.

Now onto the good stuff.

The return of screen-by-screen exploring the map instead of the over-world. I vastly prefer that. It felt like a good area size too--big enough to feel like exploring, but not so big as to be a pain to navigate or feel pointless. There were plenty of areas of interest. Day and night really mattered. I also appreciated that when you'd examine the area the narration would provide some orientating directions. It definitely helped for getting around.

I enjoyed the overall atmosphere. It was darker in going for a more gothic setting, but there was still lots of humour around that gave it a nice balance. Never went into grim-dark territory though did get surprisingly sad at points. And the narration was superb.

I liked the music too! I can't say most of the music in the series up to this point really stood out to me outside an exception or two, but I've been enjoying this one's soundtrack.

Most of all: the characters! For a place full of darkness and fear it sure felt lively. It's not a big cast, but that meant there was plenty to talk about with everyone. The villagers would actually refer to each other and it just felt more lived in. I loved how much people had to say overtime and how they'd warm up to me. Characters would react to things that happened. I really felt like I was making a difference. While I enjoyed my time in Spielburg well enough, I can't say I got particularly attached to it. I got a little more attached to Shapeir. I didn't feel at all attached to Tarna, or I guess Fricana in general. I do feel more attached to Mordavia. I'm a little sad to be leaving now.

It was also nice to have some threads continue and have some closure. I learned a lot more about Erana. It was fun to see where Baba Yaga ended up after she fled Spielburg. Ad Avis is hopefully really gone now. I even got a couple tiny doses of Erasmus and Fenrus.

I felt like I had lots to do as a magic user and didn't even take as much advantage of some of my spells as I ought to have done. I'm the most curious about how the other classes are handled in this one. I felt very catered to and I hope the other classes feel that way too.

I had a very good time and it very much feels like a big enhancement on the first game specifically. I enjoyed the first game so having it but better is great.

My current rankings as stands would be 4, 2, 1, 3, but I think 1 and 2 are very close.

Once night fell I checked around for Katrina, but nothing yet and went to go see Tanya again. Now I was able to tell her about the Staff of Erana and that she won't be a "Bad Thing" anymore, and explained to Toby about the sacrifice needed...

Don't like this.

Tanya said Toby understands and asked me to take them there so she can be with Mommy and Daddy again.

And here we go... The rules of the sacrifice were clear...

No no no

Toby's face :( :( :( He was given a few chances to confirm...

And the ritual and sacrifice were complete. He loved her so much :(

Then the staff became a part of me and can be summoned.

Tanya was cured but devastated... She wanted to protect Toby too. It's good she's cured, but... :(

And she finished with "I love you too, Toby."

Took Tanya to her parents in some narration and they were overjoyed.

Another morning. Or mourning.

I have the staff now, so I guessed I could go find the fairy queen again... I had to wait until night though presumably as with the other couple previous encounters. In the meantime, did my town rounds, especially now Tanya was back.

She was there in the morning.

Yuri thanked me as soon as I stepped out.

I chatted with Tanya. I was able to ask about Ad Avis by name now. She didn't like him; he didn't like her. He didn't like Katrina. They fought all the time but he had to do what she said which made him very mad. I'd bet.

She liked 'Trina. She was kind to her and gave her lots of nice things and taught her to read and write. She'll never go back to her though. She wanted to stay with her mommy and daddy.

Toby was her best friend and she wished he could have come and lived with them here.

She's happy to be home though.

Yuri was happy to have her back and have her be her joyful self again. Is she entirely her joyful self though? Toby...

Yeah you BETTER give your love and actually comfort her from the dark and scary things. This was your fault too.

He wasn't sure what to make of her stories of vampires, but he would gladly go to the castle and stake the one who took her from them.

In regards to Toby too: "He may have looked like a monster, but he obviously had a heart and mind of great kindness."

Good. Recognize that.

Bella was overjoyed as well, if not quite getting the whole vampire aspect. She'll never forgive the woman who stole her, but does understand her a little. She'd always wanted a child such as Tanya too.

The Burgomeister addressed her rescue as soon as I stepped out too.

I'm bringing all the happiness back! Kind of.

Still a little concerned that I took the staff that was protecting the town...

I got nothing new from Igor or Dr. Cranium.

I went to see Magda again and she'd had a dream of the staff speaking to her saying the sacrifice had been made. Davy went to investigate fearing I had been the one to make the sacrifice. They don't normally worry so about outsiders, but I've become more than an outsider to them. Aw.

I told her about what happened and that I had the staff now. She was sure I'd angered some very powerful beings and warned me to be very careful wandering at night.

She also told me the only sure way to kill a vampire was to drive a wooden stake through its heart during the day. They're too powerful at night and trying to do so would likely result in becoming their food.

I popped by the inn at night. Tanya's been teaching Bella to read and together they want to teach all the women to read. Everyone is well.

The farmers told me Tanya's been seen playing at the staff singing 'Trina's in love with a human, which they think just has to be me. Oh boy.

Once night fell I went looking for the fairies. They always seem to show up in the same screen I think but it seems like there are some sides you can't come in from or they won't show.

Anyway I got them... Or they got me.

The Queen, Tatiana, has been seeking the Staff for a long time and tried to take it.

The Staff rather emphatically said no.

Tatiana said I had claimed the staff, but I dunno, I'm kind of feeling like the one claimed by it. She was pissed and she and her two buddies there attacked me.

The Staff granted me a Resistance to elements spell, while holding it, which certainly helped a lot, but it was still rough... really rough. I also died the first time. I used more healing potions I'm comfortable with, and no, not just one.

But I won, I won.

Tatiana left behind a paper that turned out to be the Ritual of the Heart, the one that had been given to Gregor according to the diary in the monastery, but he'd gone missing. It'd be nice to know a little more of what all happened there.

That's 5/6 rituals to find now...

I went to the Garden to sleep and have another dream. I was with friends who were strangers and all was warm and joyful. Then I kissed the mage, Erana.

And everything seems well there now? Is she more at peace? Nothing dark came this time and I woke rested and feeling great.

I went to Magda again. She still didn't want to talk about the Dark One but decided it was time to learn more about it now. Come back at a later time type thing.

The Leshy just seems to be gone now too...I hope I didn't mess anything up and that was solely for points by the end. The only time I feel like I actually needed him was to get the info for getting into Baba Yaga's area.

Some aimless wandering, fighting then bed time.

There was another note from Katrina in the morning. She wanted to meet tonight. We have much to discuss. Finally.

I spent the day doing a bit of magic grinding and sleeping then once night fell, I set off to see Katrina, but right before I got to the castle gate...

Heeey, Ad Avis, buddy ol' pal. Friend.

I had the option to apologize to him. Courteously!

I killed him and ended his plans for world domination and that led to Katrina enslaving him. He wanted vengeance on us both.

I also gave him a cheery hello!

"I HATE cheerful people. I eliminated them in Raseir and I shall do the same here!"

Such a jolly fellow. This man is so petty.

After a bit of talk going nowhere he decided it was chase time and summoned a bunch of necrotaurs to chase me until they caught me. I actually made it back to town and got over the gate, but then I tried exiting again and they got me.

I was brought to a dungeon where he taunted me some more. He claimed the Dark Master was the cause of all that was wrong here. The Dark Master brought me here against his better judgement. She made him a Nosferatu and seeks to do the same to me.

He'd spare me though by ending my existence, my miserable existence. Then together with the Dark Master they'll summon an eternal darkness and will be able to travel freely. They'll create an army of undead and conquer the world.

Truly this man is a victim of his ego. Not only did he taunt me with telling me only a stake would destroy him, he left me alone in the dungeon with a stake and hammer just to torment me. So close yet so far. Chained up, sure, but come on, wizard here! Wizard who defeated you! What a maroon.

He did put me to sleep and I woke the next day as the sun was starting to set. I promptly used Open to unlock the chains.

Okay this could be a trap here, but I got the stake and hammer and, well, I needed to find a safe out but step one done.

Once I was done examining things like that mace. "It's a grazing mace!"

I went to the door and overheard two guards talking and grumbling. They didn't get why they were here. The Master said nothing about a prisoner. One thought Ad Avis (or Adda Bees) was trying to pull a fast one on her. But at least it gave them something to do.

I listened again for more.

Even a goon called out him leaving a stake with me! I want to say it's some kind of trap, but Ad Avis might just be egotistical enough for this to be exactly as he said--leaving weapons just out of reach torment me.

More importantly, well practically speaking anyway I'll take calling him out, they talked about a secret passage connecting the dungeon with the master's room.

This guy didn't think any good was gonna come of any of this and he'll be no doubt correct!

I didn't even have to search for the secret passage. Of course it was the iron maiden. Of course.

And it led to a fancy bedroom.

Katrina was lying in that coffin on the bed... Or okay, I see. Ad Avis wanted me to escape to kill her?

I opened her coffin and tried to wake her.

She was immediately pissed and thinking I was trying to kill her.

Which landed me back in the dungeon.

I mean... yes I did do all those things, but you were befriending me to use me, lady!

She was willing to hear me out. Give her one reason to not kill me. I explained about Ad Avis. She agreed that did sound like him and using me against her was his style and he also can't harm her directly.

But I still stole Tanya from her. Back, I stole her back. You stole her first.

I explained my actions and she somewhat relented but only if I did something for her.

She wanted me to seek out the five missing Dark One Rituals. I guess that meant she had the sixth I've been missing. She was at the arch where it was supposed to be, when I came out... Or maybe she had it longer than that.

She wants them in order to summon the Dark One to bring eternal night to the land and then she'll no longer be vulnerable to be killed by people like me.

The Dark One's cave was not just a temple to it, but IS the Dark One. The rituals will bring it back to the world.

She wanted to make sure I did this and used a Geas on me.

I'm nosy and will pursue anything I find out about, so I already have them! However, I didn't want to go back right away. I wanted to talk to Magda again and generally do a last round. Maybe a get a little more stat training in.

I went back to town and had another dream at the staff spot. The final battle for Erana...Battle screams, reaching darkness...

She was swallowed by darkness and with the last of her power used a final spell to bind the Darkness from within and send it back to the Chaos from which it came. She was taken with it.

And I awoke once again: Eranaaa.

Magda had lots to say and we did another card reading about Katrina. In summation:

Distant past: she was dominated and defeated. Some cruel event shaped her life. She was not broken and gained her freedom though her own actions. Her life was shaped by her own fortitude and determination.

Nearer past: has great power and self-confidence, or self-deception and illusion. She's not grown beyond the past and is trapped by immobility.

Present: working toward a goal that's yet to be fulfilled. Using power for selfish purposes and seeks a result regardless of the cost to others. But her present is influenced by affection for another. She's falling in love with someone. I'm not escaping this, am I?

Overall: The World card representing the reward of all one's actions or admiration of others. A symbol of eternal life or attainment of ultimate power and perfection. But another card was the card of illusionary goals. Her goal is a delusion. Her wants aren't what she'll gain through her actions. Should she accomplish her goal she will ultimately lose.

And over all that, the Void - The Dark One plays a part in her past and future.

And I was able to ask her about the Dark One finally. It's a thing of Dark Magic seeking to enter here. Feeds on all living things. It's too powerful for anyone to control. It wasn't entirely driven away and dark magic leaks from the cave twisting the land and living things. Everyone is a pawn including me, including Erana.

To free Erana, the Dark One must be freed. Gotta free it and hope to be powerful enough to fully banish it this time.

I also found out the last Boyar was the High Priest of the cult worshipping it. He vanished during the Summoning. So that explains what happened to him. He might still be alive but trapped in there though he's probably in a horrible state now.

I asked about the Rituals. Five were hidden in Mordavia--got those--one more is hidden in the Dark One's Cave. She believes Katrina must have the Ritual of the Mouth and that's how the cave was opened for me to get out. Makes sense. Thank you Magda!

There was also some stuff that would have explained how to get to the Ritual from the Squid Stone near the cave, but I already did that...

Evening finally fell after some napping and dinner and I met with Katrina again. She was missing her scarf this time.

I think she was trying to flirt with me. I also had the options to flirt, date or kiss, and I did try them all in a save, though they didn't go anywhere.

I wasn't considering it a date! And I didn't keep any of the options in my canon save. We can be friends. If I trusted you more. Which I currently don't.

Okay, based on Magda's card readings I think we will end up allies. Maybe?

But I still don't trust her.

A couple other things: she's lived in the castle for many years now. She knows lots of magic and it's always been part of her life. Perhaps she could sometime show me spells I'd never find at W.I.T.

Then she had to go again and wants to meet in three nights. Three nights?? What am I gonna do with all this time?? I wonder if I could have met her the first time outside town earlier in the game, if I hadn't been a coward about going out at night.

I guess unless the next day brings anything, I'll tackle the castle again... I have a lot more stuff and spells now, including aura and hide that both seem like they may be useful there. Maybe I can find Tanya.

Sleep time first though and I tried at Erana's staff this time to see if I got another dream. I did.

It started well again, before the darkness came back. There was a voice of pain and death calling and growing closer bringing with it greater fear.

And then I woke up.

I wonder, is this something interrupting Erana's pleasantness, or this some kind of channeling or experiencing something horrible she herself experienced?

A rough start to a possibly rough day for ol' Cinder.

And then I remembered I wanted to see the Domovoi again so I reloaded. And then it turned out he wasn't there boo. So back to it. Nothing really in town, so off to the castle...

Here we go again! Hopefully it'll prove more fruitful this time...

Everything in this place makes me nervous! Not least the very creaky doors. I got back to the Great Hall which seems like a good starting place?

Then the bedroom again which made a wraith appear when I tried the chest last time. But hide or aura spells? If I hide and use my open spell...

Well, the hide spell failed, and it attacked me.

But I WON. ...and used every last bit of mana to do so. But I have fruit.

The chest only had a healing potion and 25 crowns... not as progress-making or exciting as I'd hoped... I've barely even needed money these days.

I think I found the door to Tanya's room, but guarded....

Nothing to do but open and see what happens!

Surprisingly, not lethal.

The monster just slammed the door in my face and the narrator said it didn't seem to like me letting light in and I might have better luck at night.

Always needing it to be night...like it's thematic or something. It was only around midday. So, I slept a bunch. On the stairs. Restful. I didn't want to lose my way and this room though, so efficiency and good use of time be damned.

And I found Tanya...

There's my first (obvious) vampire... Toby is the furry beast.

She had quite a bit of conversation, especially once I gave her her doll back. Her doll is named Vana and was given to her by Toby.

Everything used to be good and she got to go out all the time with her parents and stay up late to visit the various inn guests, until the rains came and people stopped coming. She wasn't allowed out anymore because her parents were afraid the Bad Things would get her. She had to go to bed at night and was scared of the dark and her dad wouldn't let her even have a candle in fear that would draw a bad thing to her.

Then Toby started showing up at her window and comforting her and telling her he'd keep the bad things away. Turned out "Aunt Trina" is his master and she sent him to her. "Aunt Trina" clearly being Katrina. She said she would be Tanya's friend and Tanya would be her little girl forever and ever.

When her mommy found out about Vana she took the doll away and she was scared they'd make Toby go away if they found out so she ran away with him.

She has her own room now and can play and dance in the great hall with Aunt Trina and her hound, Cuddles. She's not afraid of the dark anymore. She just doesn't like the Dark Man that Trina brought in and wishes he hadn't come. He's mean. Toby doesn't like him either.

She'd like to see Mommy and Daddy again but Aunt Trina says they'd be scared of her now and she doesn't want to scare them. She'll never go back again. Toby would even bring her back to make her happy but doesn't want anything to happen to her.

I asked about Vampires. Those are a scary thing and why they had garlic all over the inn. She used to have garlic but she doesn't like it now. She has a necklace now.

That seems like it may be important...

So... Katrina had her brought here. And she brought the "Dark Man" here who I've been assuming is Ad Avis. What's the motivation behind all this... And I feel like she's baiting me around too.

And now what for me? Telling Bella and Yuri about this doesn't seem like a good idea. I suppose it's possible some kind of closure could come it? But she's clearly a vampire.

I went back to the inn but there we no new options and the Domovoi just seems to be gone now.

I had another dream at Erana's staff.

Then realized it wasn't me doing this but someone in the past. So, channeling some of Erana's memories here?

Then the darkness came again, with a voice calling out drawing me nearer and all warmth being flayed from me.

And I woke up with a scream.

Another day of not really being sure what to do with myself. I thought I might get more from another visit with Tanya, but needed night for that. I went to Erana's Garden to get more fruit.

And I was playing with my Trigger spell, relighting the lamps. I tried it on the water and a closed tulip sprung out.

With my open spell I got it to open revealing a scroll that had a protection spell on it--provides some protection against physical attacks. Well, that would've been nice to discover earlier! I needed to experiment more. Thanks Erana.

Nothing more from Tanya. Another sleep at the staff. Another dream.

Someone there... but reaching out there was no one. And then I woke.

Tonight I would be able to meet Katrina again and hopefully get some direction.

I should have visited the gypsies again. I mean I still didn't get a lot in the way of giving me something to do but Magda did have more to say.

She didn't know of Katrina but said she wouldn't trust her. Don't worry, Magda, I don't.

She had more important sounding stuff to say about Erana's Staff. It protects the town from the undead. She had a vision in which it told her of its protection and the Destiny Spell.

So one person would die to bring another back.

Not sure what to predict on this particular point yet, but good to know...

Davy also mentioned he saw some tall dark man on the castle walls one night turn into a bat. So. Yeah. Vampire action. Just as an aside.

Kind of killing time. I tried to give the Burgomeister (maybe one day I'll use his name, Dmitri) flowers but he wasn't interested.

He wouldn't take candy either, saying he wouldn't take candy from strangers. I'm less of a stranger now! You've been friendly with me even! Let me give you gifts!

Right. New mission for the day. Give everyone flowers. Yuri wasn't interested, but Bella liked them! "Oh, how lovely. I'll put these in some water in the kitchen. Thank you so much. I love flowers."

And Olga:

Nnnnope! I just got you and Boris back together I'm not gonna get between that!

Igor: "Pretty flowers. Look nice on grave." He liked candy too! But not one of my sandwiches; he's allergic to avocado.

And either some people aren't taking or I had more flowers than I thought...

They were too ordinary and common for Dr. Cranium. "Bah. These are just common, ordinary Bellis perennis." Then I thought to give him a magic fruit:

"That fruit is clearly scientifically impossible. Since it violates all known laws of chemistry, physics, and biology, I have no use for!"

What kind of scientist are you?

My gift giving was yielding highly variable results.

I went to go see Katrina again once night fell.

She needed my help but doesn't entirely trust me and is worried about the danger. She wanted me to find some things for her, but too dangerous really...

I got a ritual in the swamp! Look look! I couldn't show her any of them. I think I got a bit ahead of the game here. I could also only ask her about a couple things again before she left. So I was doing some reloads.

So I need more skill before seeing her again and she wants me to be very powerful before visiting Borgov Castle. She wants to be certain I can face all of Mordavia's dangers first. Jokes on you! I've been there a few times! I mean... I haven't run into the "bad man" but, you know. Visits happened.

I really think I needed to be meeting up with her earlier...

She left, disappearing into the mist despite a lack of fog around the area. I'd also tried giving her garlic but she couldn't abide the smell. Vaaaampire.

My hope was that she'd see me again the next evening. I was really floundering here. Or I need to figure out the fairy riddle for Leshy but I have no clues there either. That and two more rituals are all I have left here. I'm running out of things to solve.

I tried levitating over the castle gate since there weren't any necrotaurs yet. I lost access to my cursor and most of my menu... and nothing was happening. Might've broken it a little? This is why we save lots.

I went back to the castle thinking to visit Tanya again and I headed to the great hall, I was able to listen in on an argument. Progress! Things are thinging!

Katrina going full dark mistress and vampire. SEE?

And a dead-looking vampire Ad Avis. He thinks she can't trust "him," being me. That I'd destroy her as soon as finding out what she is.

She thinks I'm already attracted to her (while I've been avoiding every flirt, kiss and date option) and she wants me to act of my own free will and not be her puppet. If she wanted a puppet she could have just used Ad Avis. Heh.

He's still looking to have all the power.

She wasn't impressed by his posturing. He hated her from the moment they met and thought he could use her, but it's she who's always been the master and he the apprentice. Magda's card reading alluded to this. He'll never be the Dark Master--his pride overrides his thinking.

Still not sure what her aim here actually is.

I stopped listening and the great hall was freed up for me to enter.

Nothing new from Tanya and Toby but at least I'm learning my way around the castle.

I decided to try to go back to Erana's Garden after a stop by the gypsy camp to see if anything was different at night--their fire pit was lit and there was a wolf that was all. I got lost trying to find the garden and instead found a magic staff. The staff disappeared when I tried to take it and fairies appeared.

Erana's Staff may be claimed when a sacrifice is made: One life for another. I have to bring about that sacrifice. Once the sacrifice is made I'll need to perform the Ritual of Release which will free the staff from its confinement. But won't that break the protection on the town? She taught me the ritual and in return wants me to come back when I have Erana's Staff.

Will this somehow free Erana? I kinda feel like she's not exactly dead, but trapped. Or both...

The Ritual of Release was added to my spell list now.

And now I maybe have an answer for Leshy, unless I need to complete this first.

I found the garden, I was right near it and had another dream. It started in the wonderful place again but then there was the darkness.

I remembered dying and being overwhelmed with terror and running away. I was helpless and hopeless and remembered eternal loneliness. Then awoke again. Erana...

"You turned me into a frog, didn't you? Thought I wouldn't remember you? 'Let's just visit Baba Yaga and see what we can turn her into today,' you thought to yourself, hunh?"

And bitter.

Then she tried to decide between hero sandwiches or 'eye scream', deciding to go straight for dessert if I didn't have anything to say for myself.

Obviously I lingered silently first to get a death.

"Food for Thought?"

I tried to bring up the gnome. She wasn't impressed.

She really does like her food.

I tried talking to her about other stuff and in the midst of that her bat buddy chimed in wanting Elderbury Pie instead according to her translations anyway. Then that made her want some. Batty saviour also reminded her I was the one to bring her the mandrake that made for some lovely mousse. So she made a deal with me to bring a fresh elderbury pie and she'd let me go. The way to her heart truly is food.

I have the berries and a pie pan. I wasn't sure how to pie-ify it. Thankfully Bonehead came to the rescue again when I talked to him. He had the recipe for me:

Bonemeal - need to find bones and crush them

Grue Goo - I scooped more up last time I was around the Dark One's Cave so that worked out

Elderbury Berries - I got those already

Pie Pan - I bought one way back

So I just needed bonemeal. I wasn't sure where to get bone. No luck at the cave which is magically sealed or the cemetery so I tried for the swamp...

And glided straight into its loving arms.

I need add nothing more.

I did find some bones though! Then I needed to figure out a way to crush them.

I went back to town to get more corn in case I need to feed the hut again and maybe Igor could help with his tools? Igor was of no help. Maybe the hut could crush it?

No, but as soon as I arrived...oh yeah, the GIANT MORTAR AND PESTLE sitting outside her hut.

Right there. That I'd wondered about previously. So yeah, that worked and I used a flask to hold the bonemeal. Showed my disgusting finished pie to Bonehead and he told me to show it to their lead skull who then cooked it with those lasers they fire.

I didn't even need more corn for the hut; Bonehead told it to sit down for me.

Baba Yaga being Baba Yaga couldn't just let me walk in. She turned me into a hedgehog.

Who's a cute little hero? I could just finish the rest of the game like this.

She was gonna eat me again until she was reminded I was bringing her the Elderbury Pie. It 'wouldn't be polite' to eat me now and I could be useful in the future. Everyone wants to use poor ol' Cinder Win.

She did offer a reward for the pie once she changed me back: the gnome's humour, a spell, or 'something' useful.

I got a little panicky at this point because these all seemed to be things I needed as I tried different things with reloads. The spell is a hide spell and the 'something useful' is the ritual that was supposed to be in the tree.

As it turned out when I tried entering again after making a choice, you can give her more food--garlic to get another reward. I'm just glad I happened to have two cloves and she was good with getting it twice.

I got a Good Humor Bar for the gnome.

He has been a bit pathetic yes.

I got my hide spell.

And I got my ritual. I also found out that the ritual could be used to summon a Dark One OR send it back to its own world. Finally an answer to why I'm even collecting these! I mean I'm sure an answer was coming and maybe I'm not doing things in an ideal order in terms of information, but good to know now. That said, she said it'd take a very powerful wizard to succeed at sending one away and didn't think I qualified. Hmph. I'll show her.

The Dark One's Cave has been around for years and was the cult's place of worship. They wanted to bring a Dark One to the world but failed. Dark Ones come from another plane and bring darkness, madness and destruction. So basically eldritch beings? She doesn't want me messing with the cave as she doesn't want to have to leave due to me ruining the neighbourhood. Thanks. As for the Dark One they were worshipping, it's stuck in limbo now. So, I'm assuming it's gonna get summoned and I'm gonna be sending it back.

But its magic aura is leaching into the world, thus all the fun dark stuff and undead and whatnot. It also affects magic so stuff like crystal balls don't work well. And it's what caused me to end up in the cave; I was summoned by the people in the castle but interference led me there instead.

And she also told me I should go to the castle sometime and that there was a secret passage. I'll get there, I'll get there.

Aside from wanting to eat me she was genuinely quite helpful. Good clarification on the Dark Ones, including that they're basically a their own species and it was just one Dark One like I thought.

And now I could go help Punny Bones. Yay? Since I've also wholly completed elderbury berry related things, I thought maybe I could properly answer Leshy's next riddle too.

I could and he had a new and final sounding one for me. "Watch out for the Faerie Queen."

What is it faeries seek? I don't know, but I'd like to find out for myself too! I wondered if I should try to find that faerie fountain that appeared at night, if it reappears anyway.

Onward back to town for now anyway. I gave Punny the Good Humor Bar and he was very happy. I'm not sure he was all that much better to be honest, and he was being a real jerk about dwarves.

But that wasn't half bad I'll admit. Not necessarily a major hit, but not bad.

He intends to give one last show then continue on his merry way. Before I left he told me the ultimate joke.

He's gotten back the whole name rhyming thing gnomes have had anyway.

Didn't share the joke with ME the player, oh no schmoe.

He advised using it on some big bad about to do me in then make my exit while he's laughing. We'll see I suppose.

I ate some dinner then napped for an hour which took enough time for it to be evening enough for Punny to give his final show here.

He made several jokes about the town and its people and it was better than the first show at least... It made some sense. He also gave me a shout-out for the help. And ended with a bow. He's still no Keapon Laffin (even though the wordplay is very similar). I think partly it's just his voice putting me off. It's obnoxious... he's obnoxious so it fits, but...

Return of the down joke which came up with Alichica in Shapeir.

He's headed off to Silmaria next. Not sure how he's intending to get there given I thought this valley was inaccessible now, but that's his problem I guess. Gnome will out?

The innkeeper and farmer trio were certainly more appreciative this time.

Ya did something good, Punny, I'll give you that. You could stop being such a jerk about dwarves though. More dwarf jokes--and they're mean-spirited!--came up when I talked to him individually again.

Anyhoo, that was that. I was still waiting for full nightfall to see Katrina but a short nap took care of that. (And Punny really was gone, even his room was cleared out.)

I met up with Katrina and she gave me another healing potion. I won't say no to those.

She works in the castle and that's why she can't see me in the day--someone might notice her absence. Is that the only real reason though. No one's allowed in unless invited.

You're making me uneasy, lady.

She had to go but she wanted to meet again some evening outside the castle gate as it'd be too dangerous for her to come here again. She also doesn't want me to mention her to the gatekeeper or she'll get in trouble for sneaking out.

Still making me uneasy.

I had a few other night tasks:

the gypsy leader said will o' wisps were said to be children's souls so somehow getting one to the squid stone could get me another ritual and I haven't even seen them yet

find the faerie fountain again if possible

sleep at Erana's staff for a dream?

Will o' wisps first, not that I was sure how I'd get one...

Found them!

They didn't respond to my greeting.

But given they're supposedly children souls I thought I could offer candy and it worked. It was put on the ground and they clustered around it. And if Zelda has taught me anything it's catch things in bottles, so one of my many flasks came in handy.

That was simpler than I thought it'd be. I feel a bit bad though...

And the squid stone is in the next screen over. Using them made runes appear and I was able to use the Dark One's Sign again.

Got another one of these point the sign at the right things in order puzzles. I recognized this as similar to the sign and letters down in the monastery basement, so I figured I needed those letters specifically and checking back on my screenshots the A had a notch indicating a possible start.

I tried going in order in both directions. Alzoov didn't work, but Avoozl did.

A slot opened and I was able to retrieve the next ritual. I'm only missing two now, though I have no idea what to do about either one.

I couldn't find the faerie fountain again. I ended up at Erana's Garden and decided to try sleeping there. I'm not actually totally sure if Bella meant Erana's staff or garden as she talked about both. I did get a dream.

It started well.

Then things took a dark turn. Trapped by darkness. Unable to breathe. Darkness tearing the warmth, life and magic away.

Then I woke from the nightmare the next morning, it still seeming perfectly clear like it had really happened. Yikes. Rough night, though I was still restored. Rough morning too because there wasn't any fruit on the tree, at least not yet.

Another day and I wasn't quite sure what to do now. I still need two rituals but no clues there. I need it to be evening to see Katrina again. So, let it be a talking day until something comes up. Gypsies first, then Rusalka then back to town.

I went to see the gypsy leader, Magda. She had a strange vision about me:

Strange yellow bird like a bird but not a bird? My...rubber chicken? Something to do with Leshy maybe? The elderbury bush? Some other bushy area? Baffling. I would like to find a use for that rubber chicken though. Maybe the hawk I sometimes see??

I also learned more about the undead here. Some stuff I knew already like the rusalka, but she also talked about vampires. Finally vampire talk.

A person drained to death will come back as Revenant. If the vampire shares its blood with the victim the victim will come back a vampire but a slave to its Vampire Master and can't harm them directly. Sometimes someone won't be drained completely and can live until a natural death and then rise from the grave.

Also some info about the Boyars. The last one was a strange man supposedly. His son apparently left the valley in shame and horror. The gypsies returned when they heard Borgov Castle was inhabited again, thinking the son had returned and they could trade again. They found out from the gatekeeper that the last of the Borgov family was dead and the castle owned now by a distant cousin who promised to protect the valley as a true Boyar. They were able to do some trading with the gatekeeper but never saw a sign of this cousin. Then the rains fell and they were trapped here.

I also got another card reading that summed up to some kind of master and apprentice turned slave relationship and bound man wanting revenge once freed. On me I'm sure. Vampires, it's vampires. Is Katrina the can still live until dying naturally type Magda spoke of?

I headed out and stopped by the Leshy bushes, but no chicken luck there. Give up your secrets, Rubber Chicken.

Not too much from the Rusalka. She did talk about the swamp a bit more.

I didn't have any trouble getting away from that tomb though. That said, enchanted swamp certainly fits.

I gave her more flowers too. Why not? She appreciates them.

Nothing much in town though the Burgomeister keeps telling me to please be careful now. That's nice. And I bought some more garlic and candy just in case.

Dr. Cranium had a couple new options. I could ask him about his career after he said I'd make a good assistant if he didn't already have Frankie.

Eh.

I could also tell him about Silmaria.

Maybe that'll be in the next game.

The Juggling Lights spell is fun. Yeah, let me just put on a light show for ya. I mean it's a practical use in cancelling their darkness spell but it's also just fun to see. Then it turned into a fight.

And made me chew right through my MP so I'm glad I'd grabbed another fruit along the way. I had to resort to my dagger in the second fight, ew.

Once they were gone, I was able to examine the tomb? Pillar?

Of course the Dark One's sign was used for the inset figure and I was given a puzzle with the arcane symbols to presumably mark in order.

I figured the order would be the same as the arch. That I had I just been examining. But did I remember the order? Of course not! Were the symbols all clear to see in my old screenshots? Nah. Did I ever note them down? No!

I didn't want to glide my way all the way back across the swamp again and then have to do it again to get back, so I reloaded an old save and went to have another look. Remember, multiple saves can save your butt AND let you be lazy.

Anyway the order is: mouth, bone, blood, breath, sense, heart, and essence... which means just starting at mouth and going clockwise one symbol at a time. Oops easy! But also a good thing because I could still not tell what the symbols for sense and essence actually were. That got me the Ritual of Bone. I still don't know why I'm collecting these, but I'm gonna need them at some point and it gave me something to do while waiting for nightfall.

I went back to town to see how things were going and get more healing and poison curing since I used one of each today. Plus the mana fruit. Look at me using my items.

As soon I entered the main area of town the Burgomeister told me Nikolai had disappeared.

And I didn't go to find him last night because of the gypsy visit, so hopefully that's not going to be a problem for me... erm. Tonight!

The last time the Burgomeister saw him he was looking for Anna and seemed so excited to see her. He'd like to believe they're together again. I'm... thinking that may be the case... as ghosts... Agh.

There was also talk of werewolves sparking again with him missing but the Burgomeister put a halt to that.

He'll miss Nikolai...

Oohhh... Tonight's gonna be sad, isn't it? Sadder. Or bittersweet I guess? I'd be more surprised if he was alive given the everything and dangers of the forest, but knowing that's only fueling the little sad pit of dread.

Olga noted Nikolai's absence too: "More missing people! Now old Nikolai is gone! What is this town coming to?"

Otherwise nothing new from her.

The innkeeper really had nothing new, not even anything about Nikolai, but I did have to pay for my next week of room and board. Against my better judgement I went to see Punny while there too.

"Did ya hear the one about the Vampire that underestimated his opponent? He didn't know how much he had at stake."

That's better than the material he's had so far... Otherwise he didn't have anything for me either, which I was expecting.

Went to see Igor, but nothing there either except I was reassured that he's "not tomb bad." Who needs Punny Bones anyway?

Everything else in town may have been quiet, but it was an exciting day for Dr. Cranium. "Behold... Frankie!"

There she is.

He was very excited and certain she'd have all the necessary assets to become a premier laboratory assistant. And he's a genius! None other have successfully created a Frankie like his!

He didn't have much else. He didn't want to talk about the experiments he and Frankie will perform as he thinks the world may not be ready for them. And Frankie is a little shy.

When I left he said he might not be available. That's annoying for potion getting... I hope it was just talk.

Alrighty then. I don't know if I want to know what those experiments will be either.

I went to go have a nap because I still had quite a bit of day left and my stamina and mana weren't great. Especially the mana. Two hours did well for my stamina, but mana still wasn't very good oh well.

Once night fell I went to go find Anna and yeah... Nikolai's ghost too as expected.

They were very happy to see each other. So there's that...

Together in death I suppose... They thanked me and vanished and I had to do the whole leave and come back again to get them to reappear. Unfortunately I went north and found an eerie mound.

It resulted in a wraith that destroyed me. When I tried again I still went north to see if it was a consistent thing or random and yeah, still there, but I managed to get away before getting completely killed.

Anna and Nikolai did come back to thank me, and I was able to talk to them. I didn't get much in the way of new information that I hadn't already learned or figured out by now. Nikolai told me about the secret passage from the crypt to the castle, but thanks to nosiness I already did that. He also mentioned the stranger that went to the castle, "the Dark Master".

Anna also told me to talk to her old friend Olga (aw) for more information too as she was a good source. And I already do that too. I kind of feel like I was meant to do this earlier.

AND Nikolai gave me his hat. I have a hat! I'm coming, Bonehead! Not yet but soon. That was feeling like a bottleneck, so I'm glad.

Then they left... I guess they're happy? They're together and Anna's no longer lost... Dead but clearly spirits are a thing so... Happy ending?

I fled back to town.

Thanks to the general activities of the day and that wraith encounter I didn't have enough MP to levitate over the now-barred gate... I could use the spell but it immediately wore off so I had to rest until I had enough to get over the gate and the run back to the sweet sweet safety of the inn. Thankfully resting at the gate seemed safe enough.

I was not in good shape!

I got some dinner and instead of just delivering my food and leaving Bella actually stayed to talk!

She thinks Igor is a nice person and she always leaves out some dinner for him. He's always polite to her though she doesn't really understand his 'graveyard humour.'

She was also glad I helped the gypsy. She doesn't know if they're werewolves or not and doesn't care. They all have the right to live in Mordavia. She told me to tell the gypsy if I see him again that she and Yuri at least will welcome him in town. Yuri seemed a little more uncertain of this, but Bella seems in control here at the end of the day.

Time to end the day and what a day... Bed never looked so good.

And just as I was thinking, wow, a night with no interruptions, I woke in the morning to discover a note on my storage chest:

"Please meet tonight outside the town gates. I will be waiting, Your friend, Katrina."

Is she my friend though?

Another night activity for me... but daytime means NPC rounds before finally going to see Bonehead again to deliver the hat.

Bella stayed again when she brought me breakfast and had more to say. Of particular interest were Erana's staff and the Domovoi.

Staff: She said her mother would always visit the garden or her staff when unhappy and would feel better for doing so. She said tales said Erana was part fairy. She also suggested I sleep at the staff and I may have pleasant dreams. Another night task I suppose.

Domovoi: She used to see him as a child. She would sneak down in the middle of the night to try to find him and he would always laugh and laugh when she did. Awww. She doesn't see him anymore as an adult but is sure he's still there.

She also talked a bit about dreams and that they should be believed in. She's always telling that to Yuri who seems less inclined.

Yuri had a dream last night about Tanya. He spoke of her going missing two years ago and that the gravedigger had seen a huge monster outside her window. Matches what the Domovoi told me. He was generally more chatty too and talked about the Domovoi and Rusalka but wasn't sure if they actually existed or not. And there have always been rumours of vampires but it's ill luck to speak of them.

Heading out and the Burgomeister was more open with me now too! He also didn't have much to say about Vampires, just rumoured and that's never heard of anyone actually being harmed by one.

I asked about the Dark One. It's another subject of bad luck to speak of but he talked about how it was worshipped in the monastery and the members there mostly stayed there but were still feared in town. Then one day they were gone. They heard of the fighting at the Dark One's cave, but only his grandfather returned with Erana's staff.

People are being so open today! I guess I hit some threshold of doing enough good. He's even telling me to be careful now, more nicely.

Nothing new from Olga or Igor. Dr. Cranium was trying to figure out his report on the Frankie.

I also told him about the undead. He just considered vampires and rusalki and wraiths to be superstitious nonsense. Tell that to the wraith that murdered me. Tell that to my friend, the rusalka who's kindly trying not to murder me.

Time to head out and if I don't get distracted by other matters, deliver a hat to Bonehead. Smooth sailing aside from a vicious rabbit encounter (vorbal bunny I think?), but they're pretty manageable now.

I made my hat delivery and it looks pretty good on him I must say.

Baba Yaga was ready for me according to him, got a book ready and everything: "How to serve man".

I had some looking around to do and there was supposed to be a ritual in the hollow of a tree here if I got the clue correct. If there was anything there I couldn't find it yet. There was a large knothole but "knot" anything inside it. There was also a boulder nestled in the roots but nothing I tried with it worked either.

On to Baba Yaga's hut.... but it kept walking away from me. Might be mad about the whole thing in Spielburg leading it to having to fly over here.

So according to Bonehead I gotta gift it something. We could be friends...

What about the rubber chicken?

Not its "type". Fine.

Bonehead suggested thinking like a chicken to catch a chicken. So...

Corn?

Corn.

There's a happy fed hut. I finally found a use for that corn from the beginning of the game!

We have Ad Avis the probable vampire. Don't know what his goal is beyond probably some revenge. Maybe he wants to revive the Dark One. That cave is gonna matter again after all.

I had a dream that may or may not have been those two talking about me and plotting.

We have Tanya the innkeepers' daughter taken to the castle by some kind of monster. The guards also referenced a kid, so that's likely her.

And fairies judging my encounter with the fountain also want me doing things. Possibly just cleaning up all this mess for them? Again unknown motive.

And now Erasmus and Fenrus if I'm right about it being them were also trying to check in on me, but I imagine that was more of trying to find me what with the whole disappearing thing at the end of the last game.

Trying to connect threads but they're not quite connecting yet.

I also wanted to list out what I still need to accomplish:

Talk to Nikolai about Anna

Find some kind of hat for Bonehead so I can see Baba Yaga

Fix the Gnome's humour, sigh, but need to see Baba Yaga for that

Figure out the answer for Leshy's berry bush riddle

Figure out how to actually talk to the gypsies for the help I was told they could give. Maybe the doll will help?

Open and check out the secret area under the Monastery

Visit the Domovoi in the Burgomeister's place if possible (me being hopeful. Please?)

See the Rusalka again. I have no specific reason to, but it's been a bit and she might have more info. And she did want me to visit.

I decided my initial goals for the day, aside from a quick check on all town NPCs as usual, would be to talk to Nikolai and then stop being a coward and check out the secret area of the Monastery. I wasn't getting anymore info about it anyway, so just go for it.

Once I stepped out of the inn the Burgomeister talked to me to tell me the werewolf threat had ended.

I thought he'd already released the prisoner; it had sounded like it, but maybe not? That'd explain why he wasn't at the camp when I tried before.

I greeted him even though we just talked but it's fun and I got a new response: "You are a very polite person. Perhaps I should learn some manners from you for dealing with strangers." I'm honestly not sure if he's being sincere or just a little sarcastic.

He was glad the Igor situation was resolved and he can sleep better not worrying about the prisoner escaping or being killed. The prisoner returned to the camp.

And he sort of praised me. Kind of.

It started well anyway. I think he's trying! He was also feeling more relaxed now he doesn't have to worry about that 'annoying stranger' getting into trouble as I've proven myself capable. For him that's warming up to me, I think! I'll take it!

Do you know you have a Domovoi with you now, sir? Do you? I want to see if he's there at night but I don't know if I'll even be allowed in...

OIga next. She was still determined to think the gypsy is a werewolf and will eat them...

Slow road I guess...

I went to see my pal Igor. He ran into a woman that sounded like Katrina outside town.

She quickly left after he attempted some...flirting? Graveyard humour? A blend of the two... 'light his pyre anytime'. She wasn't impressed and left. She just doesn't have taste clearly.

Also maybe some new information about the Borgovs.

I'm not sure if I knew the last Boyar's body hasn't been found. Missing bodies are never a good thing.

Nikolai next... I told him I'd found her and tried to explain she was dead, but I'm not sure he was really getting it...

He headed off alone to find her. I tried to follow, but she doesn't appear during the day so I'm not sure there even is anything I could do at this point and there was no sign of him. I decided to try again at night.

I headed back to town and ran into the gypsy. He thanked me for my help. He also said they weren't werewolves--don't believe the lies of the townsfolk. He invited me to come to their camp sometime.

Then he reiterated that they're not werewolves--they're shapechangers. Before promptly turning into a werewolf and leaving. So can't entirely blame the villagers here for thinking there are werewolves. They're still being racist though.

I did want to visit the camp, but first a quick stop by Dr. Cranium because I forgot to visit him before Nikolai. And then the monastery...

Dr. Cranium made progress with his Frankie after some recalibration on the M.E.S.S. He got the 'first traces of independent muscular coordination'. Frankie waved at me from under the sheet.

While I got to witness true genius at work -- Cranium's words.

I had the opportunity to tell him about Tarna.

Too primitive AND you want to meet Salim? Losing some points here Dr.

He was otherwise pretty focused on the Frankie experiment now. He'd named Frankie after one of his colleagues who'd done some preliminary research into tissue reanimation. He's sure his success will make him one of the premier researchers at this year's Scientific Ball.

Good luck I guess.

Monastery time...

The hearth had secret passage written all over it and one of the prongs? Holder of something? I don't know what they are but side pillar things was something I could interact with. The wall decoration wiggled threateningly.

Obviously I tried again for the death.

Hector Hexapod...

The Domovoi said to defeat or feed the guardian. I tried one of my sandwiches but the hexapod only waved its tentacles at it--"Maybe it's allergic to avocado?"

Candy failed. Garlic, to my slight surprise, worked though.

Happy Hector the hexapod's hunger satiated by garlic.

I opened the secret passage and went down to the basement.

The description further hammered home the spookiness with a cold feeling and chills and a musty odor of mold and mildew mingled with a sickeningly sweet smell of decaying flesh. "Welcome to your nightmare." Said very ominously.

Time to look around.

I didn't look around for long before I found the "Cask of Amon Tillado" Heh. Had to get that in here, huh? "It is rumored to provide strange and mystical visions to those who taste freely of its contents." It was dripping red liquid. Of course I took a taste.

Once again Cinder passed out after partaking of mysterious liquid. This is gonna turn into a trend. I was given a vision of a mountain that grew darker. The mountain split open revealing a large demonic creature.

The Dark One according to the description I got of the vision after waking up.

But it hasn't happened yet!

Once I was up, a scroll formed where the liquid had been dripping.

The "Ritual of the Blood". I can't read it and I'm not sure who could, but that'll be for later anyway.

There was a rolltop desk that was locked. I opened it with my spell. From a safe distance. There was a brief cloud of poison gas, but that dissipated quickly and I was able to find the diary of Amon Tillado. "Boy, was this guy whacko!" It had information about the Dark One Rituals.

First Ritual: "placed within the Mad Monk's Tombstone, there to be forever guarded by followers."

Not sure where that is, but the mad monks have been talked about. I might just need to go review some information.

Second: placed in the 'Stone of Squids' and revealed by the light of a dead child's soul.

That may be the pillar I knocked down near the cave? A dead child's soul though...

Another: placed in the hollow of the Hangman's Tree and guarded by the spirit of the dead.

That'd be the tree near Baba Yaga's hut. The Burgomeister mentioned it too when asking about Mordavia (or rumours, one of the two) in general.

Blood Ritual: concealed magically within the Monastery and "only he who willingly seeks dark visions shall find it."

Yeah, I, uh, found that already.

Mouth Ritual: placed in the Great Arch itself, under the Dark One's Sign.

Probably the arch outside the Cave at the start of the game?

Heart Ritual: given to someone name Gregor for safe keeping. There was another note here in someone else's handwriting "Gregor is missing in the forest and probably dead -- yet where is the Heart Ritual?"

No idea about that one.

Now I'm not sure why I'd want to collect these. Keep them from the evil I guess? Use them myself to prevent something or open an area to prevent something?

Continuing in my exploration this statue got no respect.

It's like an octopus centaur. An octotaur.

There was the symbol on the back wall and the alter too.

The symbol is the sign of the Dark One, but no idea what the letters might be for that starts at A.

The book is the Necrophilicon. I tried using it, by which I mean I tried to use the symbol but the game took it as the book. The book rose up and squished me between its pages.

Eaten by a book. Well, bitten anyway.

I couldn't find anything else to do down there. I even tried to be a menace with my Trigger spell, but no such luck. Back into the fresh air.

I had time to kill until night, so I decided to visit the Rusalka and see if there was anything new there and then go to the gypsy camp.

She did have some new info for me. She warned me about the grasping hands and the Will o' wisps in the swamp. You'll be safe from the grasping hands if you stick to the grassy areas.

She made mention of some kind of tomb or very magical pillar over there. It's guarded by strange guards she thinks were once human, but she doesn't think or dead or undead.

Just scary. Maybe that's where the first ritual is? Since that and the heart one are the two I'm drawing a total blank on right now. Thank you Rusalka! Sorry it took me so long to come back to visit.

Gypsy camp next. I found my way there so smoothly and not a single encounter. I'm learning this map even on my own!

They were much friendlier this time. He welcomed me right in.

And he took me to meet their leader.

She was also a fortune-teller. And she taught me a spell that would protect me from undead, Aura. I'll be very glad to have that no doubt. Maybe it'll protect me from that wraith in the castle that was slaughtering me when I finally do go back there.

Lots of options but I started with greeting--I'm very polite!--and telling them my name.

A good strong name? Hear that? Cinder Win is a strong name!

The guy I rescued is Davey, though he also has a true name but those should only be given with great care. In a place full of fairies and magic? Yeah!

I told her about how I got here and she thinks I ended up in that dark cave due to a summoning spell that went wrong as that cave has been interfering with all magic around the area. But then who did summon me and why...

I also told her about the gnome and she told me Baba Yaga's hut was blocked by magic which I already knew. I need that hat or equivalent for Bonehead. She also added when I asked about Baba Yaga that her only weakness was her love of food so I'm sure that's gonna come up.

The valley is a place of magic where many are drawn to. She talked about Erana but all things I know now. She refused to talk about the Dark Ones and hoped I'd never have cause to deal with them. Well.

I asked about werewolves. They're shapeshifters. Werewolves are myth--they're not tied to phases of the moon. She's being more open with me as she knows my actions could affect them all.

With a little money I was able to ask for a card reading which resulted in some information about four different people and their possible influences:

A woman from the past with power but used selfishly and only cares for her own wants or how she influences others. She'll be willing to aid me if I could satisfy her needs and vanity as long as there's no effort required on her part. Baba Yaga maybe?

A dangerous old man who can't be trusted or underestimated. Influenced by black magic. Has faced unexpected failure of some sort. Evil and bears me ill-will but prevented from getting revenge. For now. If he gains his freedom he'll seek to destroy anything standing between his goal and himself. Ad Avis?

A woman of wisdom and love, kind, generous and virtuous. In touch with her magical nature. Gentle and loving but holding a great strength. Generates hope and help through her actions. Erana...?

And finally a woman of wit and skill but someone who's suffered through terrible hardship and is marked by her suffering. Faces her sorrows bravely but with deep loneliness. A deceiver, or is deceived by her own beliefs. Also has a magical nature which is the strength that sustains her. Either surrounded by false friends or seeks to betray me herself. She is a victim or the villainess. That's vague and flip floppy but I'm guessing Katrina for now.

And for myself... the Void. Which she wouldn't speak of and needed to meditate on its meaning. That's not alarming at all.

Once I left the wagon, I was invited to eat and party with them. I was given a warm welcome and a stew without garlic!

There was dancing and finally sleep.

The dancer turned into a wolf...

Wolf hug? We'll just go with that.

And I saw a...fairy? Forest spirit? Elf? (depending on whether elves and fairies are considered one and the same here).

Yeah I have much to learn like not taking drinks from strange fountains in the middle of forests at night? Besides, what was I gonna do, NOT take a drink? I have the power of saving on my side! Still, the number of interested parties here seems to be growing... And I still don't know why I was brought here in the first place.

After waking up, all was well shortly after and I continued. In a night that was quickly turning very eventful I ran into a ghost.

I greeted her.

She was lost and wanted to go home. She wasn't aware she was a ghost and I could offer to help her and guide her home but I wasn't sure how to actually do that. She seemed to just keep disappearing. She was also really slow to come to me. So, my thought was that I'd need something to... entice her? Convince her she was a ghost? Hold her somehow to bring her back to town? I'm assuming this is Anna, so bring her back to Nikolai?

Hopefully something will get clearer and I can tackle that better...

I found my way back to town anyway, and the pumpkins were jack o' lanterns!

Also, Katrina was there.

She scolded me for not taking better care at night and gave me a healing potion.

Displeased huh?

Then she intended to teach me a lesson for not listening to her warnings which sounded very menacing but actually resulted in her teaching me a new spell, Frostbite.

I don't know what to make of her and I couldn't even talk to her about every available option before she left.

I levitated over the closed gate and went to get some dinner and bed. It wasn't as late as I thought, but I wasn't in the best shape in all of health, mana and stamina.

Bad news when I stepped out in the morning. The trio of chatty villagers that are normally in the inn in the evenings were gathered outside. Igor was missing, oh no! They caught a gypsy just outside town while searching for Igor and are insisting he's a werewolf and ate Igor. Make him talk and bring him to justice and they were all basically one step away from bringing out the pitchforks. The Burgomeister thankfully wasn't having it.

We need to figure out what actually happened here. Igooor.

They kept being insistent and think they ate the innkeeper's daughter too.

The Burgomeister wasn't having that either. Tanya... now I know who she is anyway.

He tried to get the others to stop riling themselves up with tales of werewolves--he himself doesn't believe in them--and to go home. He would also appreciate my help when offered in proving one way or another what actually happened to Igor. He doesn't want to blame someone for a crime that may or may not have been committed.

You know, the Burgomeister didn't trust me but I didn't fully trust him either. He could have been corrupt. He seems to be proving otherwise now. Appreciate him trying to keep things from flying off the handle here anyway and even accepting my offer to help despite previous grumbling at me.

But Igor! Now I had an investigation to add to my plate. I was gonna be making the rounds around town anyway and now I had even more reason to.

I went inside and talked to the Burgomeister a little more. He was skeptical in general, maybe a bit overly so given everything that is going on around here, but I appreciate him being grounded about this missing Igor situation. He really didn't believe the gypsy is responsible but was uncertain of what to do. I'm here for the rescue! Somehow.

I went to talk to the gypsy in the cell who's the same guy I talked to at the camp. He refused to say anything and seemed disbelieving when I offered to help and then the Burgomeister got after me for just standing around talking.

I was just appreciating you, sir! Talking is part of my investigation! But fine, I'll go leave and do stuff. Like talking to more people.

And as I left I think I just got put on a time limit...

So I've got today before they go after the suspect...

Olga didn't have much of use, just ready to burn that werewolf before it eats them all.

I tried talking to Nikolai on my way to Dr. Cranium in hopes of some clue of what to do about the ghost I assume is Anna, but no luck there.

Dr. Cranium had nothing about Igor either, however, he thought he came up with a way to make a Rehydration Solution. That would certainly help with the dried-up Domovoi. I had to give him the elements of the formula and he requested some Grue Goo.

With nothing helpful in town, it was time to go hunting for clues about poor Igor.

I went to the cemetery first.

A groan. A fallen tombstone over a previously open grave. Igor got trapped, didn't he?

I couldn't move the tombstone by myself, but an Open spell worked to my slight surprise, and sure enough, up came Igor.

With messed up colours. A lightning bolt struck right around this point so I don't know if it was because of that or just glitched. He thanked me anyway and wandered off, hopefully back to town. That was easier than expected.

Back in town, everyone was cleared out. The prisoner was released and the Burgomeister thanked me for finding Igor. He didn't want to burn the prisoner at the stake.

Then I went to see Igor who considers me a friend now! Aw. You're my buddy too, Igor.

I told him about the townspeople worrying about him.

"Igor now morgue happy than ever!" That little graveyard humour heehee. I'm genuinely growing rather fond of him and his graveyard humour. The gnome may be... that, but Igor's got my back!

I asked about the crypt key which he was happy to give me now as a friend. Not that I needed it with magic, but good to have.

I couldn't remember if I'd asked him about Erana's staff before so I did again: Erana's staff has been in town for a long time. Dmitri's grandfather brought it. So, Piotyr is Dmitri the Burgomeister's grandfather huh.

With Igor safe and sound I figured it was time to go search for some Grue Goo for Dr. Cranium. There was all the goo near the cave I came out of but I needed to find my way back there. I also stopped by Olga, but not too much to say beyond some general horror at the gruesome fate of being trapped in a grave so it was a good thing I found Igor.

I was having trouble finding my back to the cave area. I certainly hadn't mapped at all at that point and my mapping efforts have been somewhat haphazard in general.

I found a deadly bush! Joy of joys!

A bush with eyes.

This had to be the bush Leshy's last riddle referred to.

It was an elderbury bush. I got too close by accident and it killed me. Buried me perhaps.

After some failed experiments including throwing a sandwich at the bush which did make the eyes dive down into it, I was able to use force bolt to knock a branch off then fetch the branch to get some elderbury berries.

I did find the starting area again. I'd been going in the wrong direction. For some reason I thought it was more to the east even though I've been to the swamp recently which is westerly and mostly a straight shot south of town. I even knew the swamp wasn't far from the cave. I'm good at directions! (I'm really not). But goo acquired.

I brought it back to Dr. Cranium who was thrilled and gave me the Rehydration Solution which seems suspiciously like water.

I'm coming Domovoi!

I saved the Domovoi in the Monastery who thanked me and warned me of the dangers of this place. I needed to destroy the guard or feed it for a secret passage down.

I assume he means something in here. There is a hexapod statue decoration thing over the hearth I could fire spells at, but before I do anything further in here I wanted to talk to the Inn Domovoi again. Generally get more information... Which meant I had time to kill before midnight.

With the berries from the bush I tried going to the Leshy again, but I guess that wasn't enough of an answer...

I tried for the camp again, but the wolves blocked me and there was no sign of our former prisoner.

With everything else failing on me, I tried for the ghost and confirmed she was Anna. When I talked to her again she asked why I left her behind but she was the one who kept disappearing. Every time she tried to follow me she'd find herself back in the same spot again. I had to keep talking to her and leaving and coming back to nudge her into starting to realize she was a ghost.

She remembered she was walking home when something chased her. She tried to run but something knocked her over and everything went black. She remembered her name and the place she lived in town. She remembered Nikolai and asked me to talk to him about her. She doesn't want to leave without seeing him again.

This is sad...

I was gonna try some wandering or finding something to do while waiting then I realized I was nearly out of MP and I didn't want to wander around at night with no MP and not much of a goal or get stuck outside of town without the MP to levitate over the barred gates. Yes I have the magic fruit, but not many... I need to remember to return to the garden to get more.

Instead I slept until midnight and went to see the Domovoi. He was very pleased I saved the dried up Domovoi and that Domovoi is now living in the Burgomeister's place! I hope I get to see him again... and maybe his presence will somehow help the Burgomeister? And my inn friend here was ready to help me with more information. I would need to help people and be "plenty big hero" here.

I would need to be very powerful, skilled and smart.

He told me a story about Tanya, Bella and Yuri's daughter. Time to find out about her at last. She was taken because of a doll he thinks.

Tanya was a very sweet child who liked everyone. One night Bella had a terrible dream that Tanya was taken away and Bella got scared. She stopped letting Tanya play outside or have friends. Tanya was scared of the dark and spent many times alone at the back of the inn. Then one day a big and friendly monster came to her window. He talked to her then she wasn't afraid of the dark and they became friends. One night while she was very unhappy the monster came and took her away. It wanted to make her happy. Now she was gone; now she was gone to the castle. No one except the Domovoi saw this and he couldn't help her.

As for the doll: one night Tanya got a beautiful doll that she'd never had before and she loved it very much. Bella and Yuri didn't know where it had come from or from whom and got scared, so Bella took it away and locked it in the cabinet which made Tanya very sad. The Domovoi told me to take the doll to Tanya and maybe I could help her when I become a very powerful hero.

He told me not to tell Bella or Yuri. Tanya needed a hero not dead parents. He told me not to show the doll to Bella--it would make her very scared and unhappy.

So I needed to keep helping people for now which I've been working on. I'm still not sure how this all ties together between Katrina, Ad Avis and Tanya. Unless Ad Avis was the one to take her for some reason? Only seemingly a monster and hypnotized her like he did to me? I don't know!

I went to bed, and got more voices. This time, judging by the subject of their talk--trying to get a clear view through a crystal ball, and most of all by their bantering nature, I think it was Erasmus and Fenrus.

I guess they weren't having an easy time of it.

"Either you are mystically rusty or your crystal is dusty." Yeah, this has to be them right...?

Regardless I woke to a new day.

He's convinced the primal force of life is electrical in nature. But water and pizza are important too.

Gotta have that pizza.

There have been more storms lately so he was able to harness and store more lightning.

I had some new options like telling him about my adventures in Spielburg. He'd been there a few months ago on an Antwerp gathering expedition. There was an Antwerp population explosion last Spring--I...I can't imagine why cough. Actually I have no idea what that timeline has been so far so I might not have been responsible for that particular population boom. But I'm still taking credit.

The people were still talking about my adventures. He wasn't impressed with the other details like Baba Yaga being turned into a frog. Poppycock! He claimed there was a perfectly straightforward scientific explanation for all that and I'd really like to know what he thinks happened. FROG. Like her house flying away could be some kind of propulsion, but. FROG.

He noted Nikolai isn't as old as he appears. Been very unhappy since his wife's disappearance 15 years ago. He understands his disappointment; she never brought him back the berries he needed for an experiment. Hmm...

As I left he decided he'd better wait a day or two before continuing his "Frankie"--yep, yep there it is--experiment.

Oh, I also got a second flask from him, too.

Then I went back to the inn to sleep, only to hear voices...

I was being spied on...

A man and a woman. I think the woman was Katrina but I'm not sure if I'm remembering her voice correctly for sure, but sure sounded like we'd met already so I'm gonna assume her unless proven otherwise.

The man didn't understand why she didn't just capture me. Foolish charades. She thinks they'll be best served if I act under my own free will.

This implies the man is Ad Avis to me?

What are you trying to get out of me though?

She thinks I'm quite capable, but has ways to make me cooperate but will only use them if she needs to.

So I have plotting going behind my back at my expense! Not surprising, but the plot thickens.

I, however, had a Domovoi to somehow save. Though I wasn't sure how. Maybe just get some water? Maybe water from Erana's Garden even?

I stopped by Igor and this time was able to tell him about Dr. Cranium's request for the fluid.

"Doctor ask Igor do strange things like dig up bodies. Igor bury bodies and doctor make Igor dig them up again."

Yeah, gotta reanimate them... but bring the fluid?

Ah well.

There was a stream just outside town so I filled a flask with that and tried it on the Domovoi. It did cause a stirring of life, but wasn't enough. I'd need a more 'intensive' form of liquid.

Water from Erana's Garden didn't work either, though while there I got another fruit, watered the bonsai tree and learned my glide spell let me float over bodies of water.

So I got a bit stuck. I didn't get anything useful out of Dr. Cranium though I did pick up another poison cure and healing potion.

I talked to Olga and she told me to tell Boris that if he'd ever gotten work done instead of spending all his time carousing at the inn, she wouldn't have had to complain.

I guess I'm gonna be going back and forth between them to carry their complaints until we can sort them out. Hero or marriage counselor?

That didn't help with my Domovoi problem.

I stopped and slept on it, by which I mean I thought of more ideas while getting ready for bed and had to resist booting everything back up.

I remained stuck and cautiously searched online only to see that it seems like something I can't do yet anyway! Forum post I saw acting like it could be done the second day, hmph. Serves me right for trying to be aware of any potential problems first. Anyhoo, I already suspected I'd need Dr. Cranium's help and indeed I would. Just not yet I guess.

In the meantime, I'm just going to try to pretend I never saw that warning to begin with that made me all paranoid and continue on my merry way hoping everything will be fine.

I went off to talk to Boris again about Olga's latest message to continue my role as messenger... marriage counselor... something.

I found 5 crowns in a stump just outside the town gate I'd missed before. That was nice.

Boris claimed there was nothing to do at the shop with no customers anyway. So, he'd sit at the inn and talk with the other men. Why dust with so few customers? She was always giving orders.

He came out here to get some peace and quiet from her nagging.

So back to Olga for me I guess! I'm in this spat now, might as well see it through as far as it'll let me...

She just wanted the shop to be neat and clean in case someone did come in. Why should she do all the work? It was his family's business to start with anyway, oh ho. Drama.

He said there was much to do to keep it running and his family used to work together to do so. If only Olga wouldn't nag him all the time. They used to enjoy running it together, but what's the point with no business?

Me! I'm business now!

I'm glad this route between them is short and easy.

There are things to sell! Sandwiches! Avocado and garlic sandwich mm mm mmm.

I did buy several of her sandwiches myself but they don't sound good...

Back to Boris and the key back to his heart was found I guess as he started reminiscing on those sandwiches. They had them on their wedding night. The wedding cake she baked herself was decorated with avocado and garlic flowers. He was reminded of how much he misses her and would go back to visit her. Success?

I went back to Olga and this time had to ask about her husband. He did come back to visit her and would come again after work. Given I went straight back that was an incredible stealthy and fast visit! Jokes aside he said he'd visit again after work and she thought it was nice to see him. Reminded her of old times.

I guess that's resolved, at least for now. Yeah, I went back for a last check-in with Boris.

All seems well now.

I still had a chunk of day left, so it was time to explore more.

I had another fight trying strategy mode where you just seem to tell the computer what to focus on more with sliders between stuff like aggressiveness, defence, magic and special attacks. I'm not sure if I like that either! But I'll stick to it for now.

I found... bushes... meowing bushes?

I poked the wiggling meowing bush.

I had to guess at a name.

Obviously this is Rumpelstiltskin. Or Nikstlitslepmur. Or Ifnkovhgroghprm!

Of course, it's Leshy. But I had to then try the Wild Guess option.

"You take a wild guess: Your name is Cedric!" Heehee.

The Leshy was not happy with that and vanished along with the rest of the bushes. In fact when I tried other options he at least responded with a rhyme before disappearing. With Cedric the bush just shook violently then vanished... That's mean. Everyone's mean to Cedric. I'm bugaloo-ing sadly. I mean, I snorted too (sorry Cedric), but still.

That little aside...aside.

"Leshy Leshy look up a bush or a tree." Could I solve his riddles every time? Then he vanished so I can only assume I had to keep hunting him down. Turned out that wasn't much of an assumption; I just had to leave the screen and come back. This time he was in a bush that would run to another bush and I just had to 'use' each bush he was at one by one until there weren't any left and he appeared to ask another riddle.

He asked about who lived in the lake and I had some confusion and worries because there was no seeming way to answer. He would linger for a couple seconds then vanish. Turned out after he vanished I had to use the talk icon on myself to answer, but I assumed I had to answer while he was still there, but there was no cursor to use until he was gone. That was a 'fun' little bout of confusion and worry that something was bugged, but I got there...

He next brought up a witch living in a hut of sticks with another clue. That has to be Baba Yaga.

"Bushes hear! Now Disappear!" Maybe? Like the "Hut of brown now sit down" rhyme?

I was sure that'd come together once I found my way over to Baba Yaga's hut area. It didn't seem like I could do more with the Leshy now, so I continued on.

Some meandering southward brought me to the area where I'd first spotted the hut on the cliffs so I made a more conscious effort to find a route and found some suspicious bushes.

Just as the Leshy spoke of. I got to tell them about myself in a long-winded tale of my exploits. They weren't impressed. I could also repeat the phrase Leshy told me. That made them disappear.

And here we are. Baba Yaga's hut.

About the body:

It's a dead body, artistically laid out for maximum shock effect. (Actually, it just happened to fall in that position, but please don't tell anyone.)

And a familiar skull:

The nearest skull is fixed in a perpetually sour expression. One eye socket is empty, the other filled with a brilliant gem "like the flare of the frost flame."

Like the gem from a frosty giant! I know that skull and gem. And further narration made note of that familiarity.

It was time to say hello to my old skull friend.

Baba Yaga actually did come back later to pick him up.

Half his conversation was unvoiced and the text boxes were zipping by even with my speed lowered... I may read fast but not quite fast enough. Thank goodness for screenshots. Something buggy there I guess?

I told him about the gnome and he thought I'd be more likely to end up in her frying pan, but he was willing to help if I helped him. He wanted something useful that would also "add a certain dash" to his appearance, something to keep the sun out of his eyes maybe. Then he'll tell the other skulls not to crispy fry me. So I guess I need to be on the look out for a hat.

A few other tidbits: Baba Yaga is back to her old self. No more froggy witch there. No more rhyme for the hut, just walk up and it'll squat and let you in if it wants. He's still enjoying his gem.

I tried going toward the hut anyway and the skulls did shoot at me but only for a bit of damage and bounced me back. I hoped for a death. So, I just kept doing it until I died. It took many tries while Bonehead laughed at me every time.

I was hoping I'd get a bit more of a reaction from him too, but oh well.

I decided to make my way back to either the garden or town if I could make it. On the way I ran into the Leshy again and was able to answer his question about Baba Yaga this time.

He had another one for me:

A berry bush with an attitude? No idea about that one yet. I'm certainly curious to find out what that's about.

Okay, I was going to try to find my back to a rest spot (my mapping has been hit or miss), but I ended up not too far from Gypsy Camp so I went for it.

"Surely they won't mind just one visitor." They did.

This guy had multiple wolves and nothing I said could get anything out of him except telling me to go away and threats of the wolves attacking me.

I guess I need something more to convince them? At least I hope that's the case and isn't another Dr. Cranium situation where I did have everything I needed available to me already to open his door.

Also my health bar is green because I got poisoned. Again. I was hoarding healing stuff in past games. Now I have no healing when I would absolutely be guzzling the stuff down.

I found 30! crowns in the lantern. Accepted "as a gift from Erana."

There was a fruit tree.

But as soon as I tried to take one all the fruit vanished... I reloaded and tried a Fetch. That got me one--a Mana Fruit. Probably restores MP? The rest of the fruit vanished.

Detect Magic detected magic from the lanterns and tree. I could use Trigger to light the lanterns.

I almost missed it, but there was also a dug-up hole.

A small bush or tree you say? A Bonsai Tree perhaps?

Yes!

I think I got some points for that. And maybe something more of it will come later? It's healthy, grew some more and adds some extra prettiness to this already pretty place, so I'm satisfied regardless.

I couldn't find anything else to do, so I went back to exploring.

As I continued I ran into the hawk again and it even perched on a tree for a bit. It was looking for food and struggling to do so thanks to the monster. I'd like to feed it, but it didn't seem interested in my garlic and avocado sandwiches or my corn, surprise surprise.

I also, from examining each screen, seemed to be near a strange house up on a cliff, but there was no way up to be seen from this area. I very much appreciate that doing a general examine of the area will point our points of interest nearby and in what general direction. That's been helpful for getting around.

I got attacked by a fanged vicious bunny...

And once again struggled. I feel like my spells have been missing more often than not. I don't know if they actually are. Or they weren't working on the rabbit. I think they were maybe just straight up not working on it. (future note: yeah they're immune to magic).

I was hoping to take its body for that hawk, but no such luck... even with my bag. Oh well.

I found the lake and a beautiful not suspicious at all naked woman that I totally didn't recently read about.

Then she straight up said she was the Rusalka which were in that book at the Adventurer's Guild. Even if I hadn't read that, this is obviously death. I could talk to her but it all led to trying to get me to come in.

I still went for it, because you know. I had to see. Power of saving.

"Going 'Drown'? You quickly discover that you really don't know how to breathe water."

What I didn't know was if I could actually do anything with her or if I needed to just avoid this. I tried a flame dart just to see what would happen. That'd warm her up! She appeared shocked by my action and disappeared under the lake. I reloaded.

I tried offering her candy and I didn't actually think it would work but she accepted it!

I've been scooping up flowers in my wandering too and I gave her one for good measure.

My gifts made her friendlier and less lethal. I was able to talk to her about more things and in fact, if I tried the use icon she'd shoo me back so she wouldn't kill me.

She'd been here for a long time and doesn't really know why but she can't go anywhere else anyway. She does feel lonely, drowned men aren't much for company, but as a Rusalka that's her job. The lake isn't safe to swim as there plenty of unpleasant things lurking in the deep water, aside from herself, I guess. The lake also merges with the swamp that has nastier undead than her, so be careful.

She thought she remembered a town and must have lived there once. Beyond what direction it lies in there wasn't anything else she could say about it.

She also asked me to please come visit her again sometime. Nice to have a friend to talk to, so I guess I've made a Rusalka friend now?

I went online to see if I could find info about the combat that would make more sense to me. It's set to Arcade and I switched it to Strategy to see if that'll make more sense to me. Honestly, tempted to just knock the skill level as low as it will go and let the computer handle it.

While looking I accidentally spotted that Dr. Cranium is the one to give healing stuff. Which means, there ought to be a way to get through his door already! Thanks to that, I decided to leave off looking for the camp for now and go back to town to try to figure that out. I don't really want to risk wandering the wilderness at night yet anyway without any healing stuff. I also still needed to have whatever that night encounter I referenced in the first post is too, so I went back to town to tackle Cranium's door again.

I had the TRAP and the baby antwerps. Maybe I needed to find a way to catch an antwerp? I also had that bag, so maybe I could use it to catch one with bait and the TRAP machine could tell me what that bait is? With the flying aardvark its answer was to teach some termites to fly. I thought I hit up all the combinations of answers but maybe not, so I tried again and tried to be more systematic about it.

Turns out I misunderstood! When it said the aardvark I was supposed to say no to get more options. That was very silly of me. Next up was chocolate moose ("We suggest using whipped cream on your moose, um, mousse.). Then came the antwerp and if I said no it said "Lucky you!" And there weren't anymore. Progress!

So on the Antwerp path it narrowed things down. Surely not a full-size adult antwerp?? No, but I said yes first to see the result of course:

"Try collecting checks instead. They don't bounce nearly as often."

Then I got to baby antwerps. "Bouncing baby Antwerps are avid avocado eaters."

I baited the TRAP with avocado from one of my sandwiches, and opened the door to release them. The TRAP caught one, but then I wasn't sure what to do... though more types of things to catch came up with the TRAP, so that may be good to keep in mind.

Ah, the door to the maze. The maze is an antwerp maze.

Oh boy.

With a lot of trial and error I managed to get the key but then I had to get this little fellow back to the exit and guess who hit the exit button and had to get the key again? Cranium, you're on thin ice, my man.

But I got it, I got it, good little antwerp. I had to do the key picture again but it was at least reduced to just the key hole part. Still... CRANIUUUM, shaking my fist.

Into the lab...

He thought I was Igor at first who sometimes comes in to help in the lab, before he realized, but was friendly with me at least. Not a gnome. Which, yeah, I wasn't really expecting anymore, but it would have been funny.

Now there's a worthy quest! (I say as if I actually drink tea.)

Once I looked around there--there was an 'ahead' joke about the skull because of course there was, what else is skull decor for--I talked to him.

On my personal options, aside from the usual greet and tell about yourself, I also had tell about magic, so of course I had to do that.

We might not be off to the bestest of starts here. He'd just looove the WIT. I wish it'd let me cast magic here. Let me juggle some lights at him.

We talked about science. We talked about the elements... including none other than pizza.

Pizza element! That was in a book in Shapeir. A pizza elemental specifically if I recall.

"Pizza represents the essence of well-roundedness and regaining strength. Most importantly, you can have it delivered in under half an hour in most area!"

He can also make healing and poison cure drinks (NOT magic), but he forgot the formulas for the main ingredient. He names the ingredient then you have to use the game manual to get corresponding formula of elements. Good old copy protection...

They're time consuming so he can only make one of each per day, but at least they're free I guess? Not that I'm struggling for money.

He was also happy to give me an empty flask--"always delighted to assist scientific research of any kind".

I got him on another rant about magic and he was bemoaning how gullible people are. He got given a scroll by someone saying it was a magical spell. Poppycock! He gave that to me too "as a reminder that Magic is figment of fevered imagination."

It was indeed a scroll. I learned Glide. That sounds exciting.

I would love to see this man enter the Wizard's Institute of Technocery and see what happens. The drama. Though I suppose they might just boot him out like they did to me a few times, but how do you explain that with your science? Them phenomena.

We moved on to other topics, like the cemetery being a useful source of materials for his experiments. Ah. He sure is trying to reanimate the dead and needs some Essential Etheric Fluid.

Are we getting into Frankenstein territory here? It sounds like we're headed to Frankenstein territory.

He also wants to brew the perfect cup of tea but that's been eluding him. You know, just an extra quest alongside some necromancy, I mean, science.

He is also NOT MAD! Just perturbed about the world situation and lack of respect. But not mad.

As I said goodbye he asked me to tell Igor to bring him the fluid if I saw him, which means there is no if here. Obviously I'd go directly to him. That was my intent anyway; there was nothing new when I went to talk to him.

I went back to the inn and the gnome jester was there!

He's staying at the inn for a while until he finds something. His name is Punny Bones... He claimed to be a pro punster but I sure wasn't seeing it! He's up for me visiting and maybe we could have some laughs. He's got a million jokes, but can't remember most of them.

It showed.

Once I sat he put his show on...

He needs lessons from Keapon Laffin. Or Yorick.

"You may as well laugh now. This act doesn't get any funnier."

He is honest. It sure didn't.

Well, that adds another person to my rounds, but he is not up to Gnomish standards so far!

Maybe he's here to find his humour.

The innkeeper was also thoroughly unimpressed.

Nor were the usual trio. And Punny interjected on every topic of conversation....

I poked outside briefly but nothing new, so I went back and Punny had gone to his room so I went too.

And got zapped for knocking by his burglar alarm. I knocked! jerk.

His room is quite something yet about what I'd expect. The garlic is smiling...

Thank you, narrator.

Okay I... I sort of liked the smiling garlic. I think. They remind me of Rotten Tomato or the singing stone in King's Quest VI.

I did learn some information off him though. I told him about my adventures and he particularly wanted to hear about Spielburg. Turned out he was cursed by Baba Yaga and if I hadn't made her mad he never would have told the joke that made her take his humour away. He's "comedically challenged", "a dweeb dunce", "vexed with a hex". So, he IS here to find his humour! My snark was actually right.

I guess that means he has an excuse for his awfulness. I guess.

I also scooped up a rubber chicken. No sign of a pulley.

Then I slept in one hour increments and tried some spells while waiting for midnight to have that night encounter I didn't want to miss and risk getting dead-ended. I remembered to check that glide spell too. It only works on liquid so... that confused me as to what it actually does.

Then I thought of trying my juggling lights spell with Punny, but no reaction, boo. He did have a little bit more to say though. He heard Baba Yaga landed her hut somewhere southeast of here. He couldn't find her himself though and also warned me to watch out. She gets real mad. I might be in some trouble when I find her given the grudge she must have against me.

But enough time passed to get my encounter...

Who or what are you up there...?

He was a Domovoi and protector of the Inn. Aw. Most people don't normally see him but my hero is maybe something special? A hero for one.

Things are bad. Things aren't good for the inn. The Innkeeper and his wife are sad. Mordavia is very sad. There's too much Dark Magic for Domovoi to help. He wouldn't elaborate on the Dark Magic though.

In general he didn't want to talk too much yet and said perhaps another night. I thought though, since Punny Bones changed when I left and came back, maybe if I slept for just an hour he'd change too? And he did and had a lot more information for me.

Many things need my help: Gnome, Nikolai, Yuri and Bella (Innkeeper and his wife), Olga and Boris. Others. Even the Domovoi needs help.

Not far is a very bad place with a door that would try to kill me and I needed a Magic Symbol. The Monastery--I already found that my friend. There's a Domovoi there--not alive and not dead, but very dry. That "sculpture" I couldn't do anything about before? He'll see me again after I help that Domovoi. I will!

He also had some other advice like to find the Forest Leshy and if I play games with Leshy, Leshy will help me.

Also dead things good and bad.

So, I'll need to help someone who's dead? Anna? If she is indeed dead and I need to help Nikolai maybe helping her would help him.

He also talked about the Rusalka--killed by an untrue lover and told me if I was kind maybe she wouldn't kill me, but I've already handled that! Proactive Rusalka befriending here.

And the castle is a bad place I can't be going to yet. Oops. I would need to be very strong, smart and powerful and know many things. It's too dangerous right now. I went! I survived! I just didn't... really accomplish anything.

In the castle there are many dead things and many undead.

I don't know who Tanya is and he didn't elaborate. The Master's daughter maybe? Or the kid referenced in the castle? Who may be one and the same.

But I have an actual reason to go find the gypsies now.

A good list of things to do and look out for from this fellow and I need to help him! Poor thing. He's sweet, makes up for the Gnome disappointment I just had.

I bought five rations -- avocado and garlic sandwiches... I also got a shopping bag, another clove of garlic, a couple candies, oil, the broom and pie pan. Basically something of everything she had on offer. Better to have now than need and not have later!

I was a bit of a loss for what exactly to do next. So, I decided to go try talking to Igor again. Maybe I could get the key or clue about a key for Dr. Cranium's door off him? I couldn't even ask him about anything to do with Dr. Cranium, but when I asked about rumours he said he not know anything, he not know Olga's husband ran off years back. Oops.

I've heard about the cemetery a few times now, so I decided to go see if I could find that.

On my way I got startled by a hawk. Then I arrived at the cemetery and a gravestone got hit by lightning?? Which startled me again. I couldn't see anything significant about the grave though.

A climbable tree.

In other words: Not Me.

No. This was said so gravely too.

Aside from that, there was also the Borgov Crypt of which the door could be interacted with. Surprisingly my Open spell worked and caused more lightning strikes but those could just be a special effect (narrator's words, not mine!) and I entered...

I looked at the Borgov crest, but I assumed I'd need more information first...

I found a keyhole in one of the knight sculptures so I was thinking solving the crest may reveal a key for it? I still tried an Open spell but it was locked by stronger magic than mine.

I checked the crest again and while poking around it I guess accidentally got a hint to check the way the family name was given outside the crypt. When I kept fiddling it warned me not to do that unless I needed another hint. Whoops. That said as soon he said it I realized, Borgov as in: Blue, orange, red, green, orange, violet. I still went outside to double check I hadn't missed anything else, and Igor was here. Not much to tell me though except he has the key to the crypt, but don't disturb it. Well, too late for that and I don't need they key which he wasn't about to give me anyway.

Borgov in colours was indeed the answer and it did reveal a key which I used on the statue which revealed a path deeper into the mountains that led to a castle chamber.

Um, I don't know if I should be doing this, but I guess I'm here now!

I found a bent candle on the chandelier that opens the passageway back up, so I was relieved to not be stuck at least.

I tried one of the doors and it creaked loudly. So... oil may be in order here. Nothing happened this time, but... But everything was loud and scary. I could also look through all the doors' keyholes or listen at them.

I went through a couple rooms and found a tower and got attacked by bats. And I got poisoned. And I have no form of healing... nothing to do but press on! Even though I don't know why I'm here!

At the top was a room with a bookshelf on top of which was a crooked crest I could turn for another secret passage.

This place felt huge. I felt lost quite quickly. The poison wore off though.

A stained glass wheel pattern. That may be important... I didn't figure out how at this time.

The other door led to more tower stairs down, and goons at the bottom. As I turned right back around to get out of there, I got to hear a conversation and it's probably a damn good thing I oiled the hinges. Though I may have missed a death. I didn't think to reload to try. I was basically a walking ball of tension in there the whole time.

The Master is a She. There's a kid they like but she's being kept all the way on the other side of the castle. And...

Ad Avis... they don't like him. Good to confirm he is here.

They're guarding a dungeon even though it's empty (good to know), because that's their job and what else would they do?

I guess I needed to find my way to the other side of the castle.

I found another interesting room. There was even some money in the cabinet. They'd all been empty so far. More importantly:

A giant safe. I used my Open spell, which set off a small explosion... I took some damage but survived. That said, let's try that at a distance this time. Yeah, that was better.

15 crowns! That's a whole lotta money. A pity about the papers being deteriorated.

Moving on, I had a ghost pass through me, eek.

(once again, questioning if I should even be here...)

I found the main hall. From there a bedroom that appeared not to have been used a in a long time for the dust on everything and the mortared up window. There was a chest. I went for it. A ghost appeared.

It turned into a fight.

I got my ass handed to me.

I tried again with a Calm spell (you never know) and an Open spell which set off another trap, but the ghost attacked again. Leaving that place alone for now.

From the main hall it was a quick way back to where I started. On one hand, good. On the other, uhhh what now? I got a little information, but I didn't exactly find anything though I may have missed some rooms.

Still, the sun was starting to get low and I didn't want to get caught out at night, so I went back to town. Maybe I'd be able to get new info.

I was able to tell Olga about the Gatekeeper--turns out he's Boris Stovich, so her husband wasn't just dead or gone like I thought. He's a good for nothing according to her and if I see him again to tell him "he's a lazy louse and swamp scum besides." I suppose I should go talk to him again too. The next day... when night isn't coming.

She wants me to to keep telling her about my adventures. Someone has to stay informed. Or be ready to gossip. She's definitely been my rumour mill here.

Which, speaking of, I asked her about rumours. The innkeeper's daughter was stolen by the gypsies, she thinks.

The last Borgov disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

About vampires: it's said the strangers at the castle are never seen by day and can't stand the smell of garlic.

About Nikolai: his wife went missing before even Olga was married. Probably eaten by something. He's been crazy since.

I went to see the burgomeister. He still seems exasperated and mistrustful with me but getting more willing to talk! I asked about Mordavia and got some more information. There's a lovely lake southwest of town that used to be popular but he doesn't know what it's like now. Southeast is Erana's Garden.

If I get caught at night too far from town I should get there for safety. He doesn't really want something to happen to me; he is warming up! I assume this is like Erana's Peace. He didn't want to talk about Erana's death though. He even said to be careful in the forest when I left!

Back to the inn with me for more garlic and veggie stew. And another talk with the three farmers. They waxed poetical about elephants when I asked.

They used to herd them. Wonderful times. Good times. Lovely creatures, except when kicking down houses in over-excitement. Sad times stop talking about it.

They remind me just a little bit of the men of low moral fiber in Secret of Monkey Island...

I decided to go to bed but it wasn't late enough to actually sleep the night away so I did some experimenting with magic in my room where I am allowed to cast. And I tried to levitate.

Potential to levitate in and out of my window at night? I waited around until night and tried. It did work!

There didn't seem to be much around at night right now, but at the monastery I got:

There wasn't anything different inside.

Still, knowing I can levitate in and out of my window to get in and out at night when everything's locked up is very good to know. The ledge below the window I was paranoid is maybe for thieves and fighters?

After that little nightly stroll, it was bedtime.

Day 3. I figured since I didn't know what else to do, I'd go check out some of these points of interest. I'd like to know about that lake and I definitely wanted to find Erana's Garden asap. There was also the gypsy camp... And I wanted to go to talk to Boris the Gatekeeper.

Before I left town I did a quick round of NPCs and got a little more about the monastery from Igor.

Then it was time to go.

Boris first.

I told him about Olga. He blushed, but then added that she was always opinionated and he got tired of her complaints.

So you just vanished on her??

Nothing more came of that. At least not yet. Maybe I'll be able to talk more about him with Olga when I'm next back there.

I really wanted to find Erana's Garden next. Besides curiosity, given how often I went to Erana's Peace in the first game, I can only assume knowing where the garden is here will be nothing but a good thing. Plus there could be something useful there.

I was met with a surprisingly pretty sight on entering. I think I'm still spooked by the beginning stuff and trust nothing.

The flowers are beautiful and out-of-season. The staff is magic. When I tried Detect Magic, I sensed magic radiating from the staff and protecting the area.

I have to try to touch everything so naturally that included that staff. There was a woman's voice:

"This I must first do -- the sacrifice of life for one of love."

I also tried talking to it:

"My destiny is not yet fulfilled. One life for a death, and one death for a life."

When I did a look at the general surrounding area I got a familiar sense of peace and harmony and the flowers' scent reminded of Erana's Peace. Yeah, I think it's safe to say the staff and voice are Erana's. More Erana lore in this game?

I headed to the buildings and got startled by a man, the Burgomeister. In my defence he yelled at me and I'm still expecting everything to go wrong.

Burgomeister apparently translates to something like sheriff or mayor. It's his job to know everyone and thing that goes here. Yeah, yeah, I'd get to him but I had to examine things first.

He laughed in this narration! And it took me a moment to get it. SIGH.

Enough of that, I talked to the Burgomeister. He wasn't happy with my greeting. I told him about myself and how I got here. He didn't believe me that I'd made it out of the cave alive or that it had been open. Interesting that those jaws normally stay closed, I suppose. We weren't off to a good start here, though. I switched to asking him things instead. His name is Dmitri Ivanov. He also told me about the swamp blocking the southern roads now keeping anyone from leaving or coming. Except me. He informed me of the inn and shop and told me to use them to get what I need then wanted me to get out, although that doesn't seem to be much of a possibility with the roads blocked by the swamp. They don't need strangers causing more troubles. I fix trouble! I mean more trouble might happen first... but I'll fix it!

Oh I'm already trusting nothing. He warned me not to get caught out at night as few can survive a Mordavian night or stay sane anyway. As for not going out at night though, well, things happen...

But basically he boiled down to get your stuff and preferably skeddadle.

I moved on to the general store in which part of the description on entering was "The first thing you notice are the cats--they seem to be everywhere!"

Cats!

Now things were looking up.

Tumblr limits me to 30 images which is a pain because this game is throwing me so much I want to share. A description of a knitting basket here: "This used to be a knitting basket, but now seems to have become a cat basket. Amazing how that tends to happen!" Truly.

There was a load of garlic. "Either garlic is one of the most popular products here or the shopkeeper ordered way too much and hasn't been able to get rid of it."

Or, y'know, vampire protection. Just sayin'.

I tried to talk to a cat. "You attempt to have a meaningful dialogue with the cat. It says "meow."" Hearing all this narrated is great.

Then I finally introduced myself to the owner who is Olga Stovich. She also reiterated that strangers aren't very welcome here, but she thought it was good to see a new face again. I'm glad someone is welcoming!

She had a load of products I could buy.

She had garlic flavoured candy (ew) as well, but sold out. She noted the potential protective and health benefits of garlic, hint hint. The pie pan and broom don't seem like things I'd need but come on, they've gotta have a use.

I also asked her about rumours.

The innkeeper's wife is Bella and the one to really run the inn while her husband, Yuri, just gives the orders. Sounds like things aren't the best between them. They lost their only child...

The castle was abandoned for years and it was only four years ago that strangers moved in. Hmmm... shorter time span than I thought after talking to the gatekeeper. No one knows what's going on there. She doesn't think anything good, wise woman. It was at this point it occurred to me that I don't know how long I was in that cave before waking up. Concerning...

Werewolves are gypsies (in her opinion). Mmph... 90s game, 90s game... Nothing can kill a werewolf except silver or magic and she warned me to be careful at night. Their camp's not far from here. I doubt it's actually them but we'll see...

The monastery is a bad place that should have been torn down. Stay away. Many strangers have asked about it and never returned from it.

I had a bunch of shopping to do but I wanted to find out what the inn costs would be first. And generally explore for anything else to buy before spending my money. No repeats of QFG 1 money woes.

When I exited the Burgomeister was gone from his window. Don't know if that means anything.

I got roped in to paying for my room and board immediately at the inn after the innkeeper's initial surprise to see me.

A week paid off though! So I won't have to worry about it for a little while. That's nice.

That left me with 16 crowns and 68 kopeks. There's 100 kopeks to a crown so I was richer than I figured. ...thanks to looting the skeletons in the cave, but they're not gonna be using it anymore...? It'll be for a good cause!

I told them how I got here. He just said they didn't trust magic or users of it. As USUAL. But I guess that's fair here.

[Slightly future me: I realized I didn't even try casting so I went back, but no luck. I was told it was too dangerous to try during the day and the townsfolk don't trust magic. That does imply I can try at night though? And this generally stings less when I've already gotten to do stuff. I can also use magic in at least empty buildings too.]

There was a lot of garlic hanging in this place too.

There was a group of three to talk to but while they were quite chatty, they weren't very informative... I did find out there's a cemetery east of town though.

I went to check out my inn room. Mooore garlic.

And a narrow ledge outside under my window. Side-eyeing that. I have a storage chest if needed.

I realized I didn't actually talk to the innkeeper and he did have some information.

Beyond the shopkeeper and burgomeister whom I've already met he spoke of the gravedigger, Nikolai, and Dr. Cranium.

Nikolai is a harmless old man who wanders around looking for his dead wife. Aw.

Dr. Cranium came several years before the swamp wrecked the pass. No one trusts him or knows much about him. It's rumoured he conducts strange experiments. Nooo, with a name like that?

The gravedigger's strange but a good carver of tombstones and a good digger.

I still had some daylight left so I headed to the north part of town.

The gravedigger and an ominous building. Score?

Of course I started examining the scary building first. There was a bas relief of a creature like a six-legged octopus. Uh oh. It gave the creepy feeling of looking right back at me. There was also an indentation in the door of a set of six curvy spokes radiating from a central point... both are describing my Dark One Sign? That can't be good. I also wasn't gonna touch that just yet.

I went to talk to Igor the Gravedigger first.

He's by a boarded up building. It was the Adventurer's Guild but there are no adventurers. So no guild.

He didn't have much to say about the town. He works at the graveyard at night, the graveyard shift, har har. The work is piling up too -- just some graveyard humour.

He totally knows no rumours.

I'm certainly getting curious about this Dr. Cranium.

And he got fierce about the monastery: bad building. Bad, bad, bad. How soon am I gonna end up there?

Still avoiding that building for the moment I moved on to another section of town and found Nikolai.

Of course his dead wife's name was Anna. Of course! What is with the number of dead Annas in media... Cursed name.

I couldn't get anything out of him but him asking after Anna. Poor fellow.

Dr. Cranium's place was also here...with a big nose sculpture over his door. And I had to follow a pattern of bells to open it.

There's a...robot?

What am I getting into?

I examined the device...

Hmm...

But it can be used to identify animals and advice to catch it? You answer a short series of different questions: is it alive, fast and vicious or silly? And it gives different results. Alive, fast and silly got me a flying aardvark. If it's alive, fast, not vicious or silly, why bother catching it?

I don't want to get my hopes up but... but could Dr. Cranium be a gnome? Gnome was my first immediate thought when I saw the giant nose over the door.

When I examined the door to his laboratory I got a note about only being able to enter by prior appointment or demonstration of superior intelligence. When I tried unlocking it I got...

No. No, no no, absolutely not. I don't even know what image it's trying to make! I hate these!

Okay, it wasn't actually a slide puzzle like I thought. You just swap two pieces at any time anywhere. But if you exit it resets the whole thing.

I figured it out.

...but I didn't have the key so I couldn't do anything.

I explored some more and let loose some baby antwerps from the right door.

So I got bounced on but was okay as they were so little. Some kept bouncing around after this. Oops.

The other door led to some kind of rat maze without the rat and I couldn't enter.

I couldn't find a key... So, hoping I wasn't missing something in there, I left for now.

I went back to the scary building which is the monastery, oops, I didn't realize. I tried to use my symbol, but Igor warned me off.

Then I tried to listen at the door anyway, and got grabbed by the statue of the octopus-y thing.

I was dead dead dead.

But I was right about actually using the Dark One Sign with the indentation of the door. That did work and I was able to enter.

Not that I have a known reason to yet, but gotta explore right?

There was an alcove above the door that might have held something very important. There were also some of those symbols from the arch near the cave above the door.

I tried a Detect Magic. I'm enjoying that it actually gives me some useful results or at least more knowledge.

The object is a sculpture that fits the description of a "Domovoi" except for being dried out and unmoving... Maybe something I'll learn of later?

I couldn't move the sculpture, even with magic. I can only assume this is something to deal with once I have more information. And items.

I was headed back to the General Store, but realized I never actually entered the Burgomeister's place, so I did that and had a talk.

I was able to ask about the Adventurer's Guild. It's been closed as the swamp has prevented any adventurers from coming anymore but he gave me the key, so I could take a look around. Surprisingly generous of him.

He also reiterated the whole swamp deal, that it was formed from heavy rains and there's essentially undead there. Yeah, I saw those hands...

He still doesn't trust me and would send me away if the pass was clear, but it's not so he's just keeping an eye on me.

Adventurer's Guild ho! Yeah, the guild wasn't looking in great shape. Sad. But traditional prop Moose Head! Oh, but it was a Mordavian Moose. With fangs. I, I don't think moose need fangs. That's too much.

But I started getting warnings about feeling hungry so I went back to the inn for some food--garlic stew with vegetables--and as I left again I was warned to knock now as they lock up at night. And another warning of the dangers of night. I just wanted to explore the guild first!

There were books to read including one about the creatures here like the necrotaurs--scary. And Rusalka--the spirit of a murdered unmarried woman who try avenge themselves by drowning men foolish enough to approach. There was also the Leshy who play practical jokes and riddle games but can be helpful to those it likes.

I could sign the adventurer's logbook, always gotta do that. The buckets are like an exercise machine I could use and I think it got me some strength points. The frame above the bookshelf was empty and might have a secret passage but I couldn't figure out a way to access it yet.

The logbook also had entries to read about Piotyr and the Dark Ones Cult. Piotyr was a paladin and led the armies against the Chernovy Cult outside the Dark One's Cave. The Cult members became grotesque monsters causing many of the soldiers to panic and run. The battle was nearly lost when Piotyr heard Erana's voice "By all my Will, I banish you..." she was cut off but the Cult fled. Piotyr went into the cave but could only find the remains of the Cult members and Erana's magical staff, but no other sign of her.

Piotyr brought the staff back to the town square where a garden of flowers instantly grew around it. He was going to seek out the Rituals of the Dark Ones and destroy them but there were no more entries after that.

Well, now I knew how Erana's staff got there... Though clearly still missing some bits of the story.

It was turning to actual night and I headed back to the inn. I would like to explore at night too, but only after I get a bit more established...

The chatty trio (who feel like they may be a reference but if so I have no idea what) I talked to earlier were back. I learned there was another stranger--a Jester. A Gnome!! Not seen him yet though... So, I guess Dr. Cranium probably isn't a gnome. Unless there are two! Probably not? But maybe? I'm pretty sure 'man' has been said in regards to Dr. Cranium though, so probably not. (But I live in hope.)

I went to my room to sleep. I missed it before but I was able to take a clove of garlic from all the garlic draping over everything in here. I never did get to shopping. I'll do that in the morning if nothing else comes up first.

One day in the town of Mordavia done.

Yeah okay, just to nail this home we've got a zombie looking hand cursor going here.

While I'm then met with the dulcet tones of John Rhys-Davies telling me to import my character and welcoming me to Shadows of Darkness, which was making me giggle a bit because shadows of darkness is hardly welcoming sounding. I'm enjoying this game's version of the main theme though. Got kind of a slightly spooky-edged rock thing going here https://youtu.be/ZBOYz851_mY?si=e2X-lq9qvNtBMMfs.

I imported but my stats were all boosted. I guess I wasn't at the base levels expected in... anything? They're all higher than where I left them except communication is the same at 228. I guess whatever happened to Cinder did some boosting too! I'll go with that explanation. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I mean yay better stats but he's suddenly a lot stronger and dodgier than my wimp. I also had 100 points to spend.

After spending my points here's what was I sitting with.

Time to see what the hell has happened to us.

I woke in a spooky skeletal place...

I lost all my stuff! I have armour and one crown--the new currency. I was left with questions:

Where are you? How did you get here? Who brought you here? And how in blazes can you get out of here?

That gave me a laugh and I'm sure curious to find out!

Large cave... with half petrified skeletal corpses embedded in the floors and walls. And my look icon is a big ol' eyeball. We're definitely getting the dark spooky atmosphere here. I should have tried to get this game started closer to Hallowe'en.

I found an altar to the Dark One. And I got a torch, a magic torch. Inventory!

I decided I needed to brighten things up with a little light-show.

I mean it didn't do anything, but shiny! Keapon will always be with me...

The door out was controlled by a kind of valve thing that I couldn't make out in the dark. But I could use my good old trusty flame dart to light the sconce then light my torch.

Mmm spooky green flames.

But then I needed something sharp to pry open the valve. I found some flint and some money around the bones. Crowns and Kopeks are the new currency for this game. The flint didn't work either on the valve. Then I remembered I'm a wizard dammit and tried my open spell... to failure. The door was bound by magic. More hunting around netted me more money and a dagger though. (I later also realized the dagger and flint is probably the solution to lighting the torch if you don't have magic.) The dagger worked on the valve opening the door.

Leading me to another charming room. And me hoping I found everything in the previous.

I had more stone valve doors, an altar and an exit to the south.

There was also another corpse and a square of canvas sheet. I took the cloth and more money off the corpse... They won't be needing it.

I couldn't enter through the doors... "Perhaps this isn't the right time." I'm getting a sort of trial vibe to this. Like go do other stuff and they gradually open?

As I was trying to investigate the third door, bats came from the south and attacked. And I was thrust into yet another new combat system.

And after an accidental retreat I somehow won?? Because I was having trouble seeming to do anything.

"In a bitter battle, you were better than the Badders." Thanks game.

I retreated to the manual to go see how to do this, something I should have looked at before starting, but I just kind of assumed it'd be the same as QFG III... I'm still not sure I get it but we'll see how it goes in future combat.

The altar was covered in stains like blood--presumably blood--and was creepy. I moved on southward.

There was a rope to take, test, or try flying but I didn't have a fly spell as the game oh so kindly pointed out, but also pointed out I just had levitate which only goes up and down but if there was a way to use some wind...

When I got too close to the edge, I got my first death!

A big tentacle came out and grabbed me.

Sadly the death messages are not voiced... I'm a little bummed about that.

I tried levitating anyway and got another message about the wind, but that I needed a way to catch it. So, cloth like a sail and levitate.

Whee! And escaped the tentacle! And I've already gotten to use magic other than flame dart! Wizarding!

I did do a quick reload to see if it'd let me take or cut the rope. No such luck, though I did accidentally clean and cut my fingernails with a misclick on myself. "Neatness counts!" So that was fun.

I escaped the cave! Jaws snapped shut behind me! A creepy place? A creepy place with a spooky altar and three sealed doors? Is this gonna be a place I return to repeatedly or a place to build up to toward end-game...

There was a woman outside and she was surprised to see I had escaped alive. Only one person had done that.

I would also like to know how, lady, but at least I got a where now. Mordavia. Yeah, that, that's a name that tracks.

She told me there was a town north of here and to be careful as many bad things are wandering around here. No shocks there. She introduced herself as Katrina, hoped we would meet again and left. You could have taken me with you! I mean I wanted to poke around a little out here first anyway but!

Admittedly, joining with a strange man who walked out of a scary cave that apparently has killed most people probably isn't a good idea, but still. And joining a strange woman outside a cave also probably not a great idea, but I'm lost and alone and a little scared!

It's okay. I had stuff to examine.

There was an arch with symbols.

Things that make up life? Bringing something to life?

And an eighth...

Bringing an eldritch horror to life?

Regardless of what this is about, I'm sure it's nothing concerning at all! Nosiree. I was able to take that symbol off though and was told I had the feeling I may need this "sign". It's the 'Dark One Sign' in my inventory. Hm. Is this really something I should be carrying around?

I carried on.

That dark one is getting around. (the eyeball is my look cursor)

Part of the tree looked like a club ready to hit someone. The path was slippery with slimy goo and sure I escaped the cave, but kind of landing in the frying pan it seems.

Okay, the branch left me alone, but I did go sliding down while squinting at that tree the entire time.

But at least I made it. I kept waiting to be clubbed, or fall off or in some way get killed.

So, anyway, with a dark sign there and a dark sign in my possession I had to try using them together.

This was probably a bad idea! But as an adventurer game protagonist I obviously had to try. It was safe for now anyway. Ish.

As I kept examining things it was making it very clear this place is gooey. And slimy. And greasy. Goo galore.

There was however an out of place bonsai plant caught in the goo and rock. I had to knock the rocks loose with a couple of force bolts. Maybe one would have worked if I'd aimed better. Then I could fetch it. Do I know why I need it? Not a clue, but it was there therefore I grab.

It's a rescue plant!

So. much. goo.

Empowered by my magicking I decided to try detect magic on the pillar and of course there was magic. So naturally I tried Trigger, expecting it to blow up in my face or something if it did anything. It actually knocked the pillar over. So I did something I should have? But it still scared me. I wasn't expecting that.

Given the slippery path I slid down I realized this was my way back up. I tried and yeah, couldn't use the path to go back but could climb the pillar. A pillar with the sign of the Dark One is totally bridge-material I guess.

Seriously though, the amount of magic I've gotten to use already is making me so happy after feeling so held back for so much of QFG III.

I'm doing a lot of "I hope I got everything!" but after some fumbling around to find the path to the next screen I got to a swamp.

Hands were coming in and out of the water...more spooky... I didn't find anything here, and the next screen was much nicer.

But I was worried that I didn't do or find anything at the swampy area so I went back to double-check.

I didn't find anything but a detect magic revealed the hands and floating balls of light--what floating balls of light?--are magic as expected.

The forest was nicer...

And punny! "The red bush looks 'reddy' for anything." "Large deciduous trees make their stand among the pines--they know how to leaf well enough alone in the Fall."

The prettiness continued.

I drank some water and picked some flowers. There were several forest screens and I probably should have been mapping. Definitely getting more Quest for Glory I vibes here, which I am very okay with. I prefer this over the attempted overworld map of QFG III. I'm sure there'll be time enough for mapping later. Despite Katrina's warning I didn't run into anything dangerous yet either.

I was also getting concerned that a message about my lack of food popped up...but could only press on.

Teehee

I eventually found myself at a castle gate which isn't the town Katrina mentioned, but there was a gatekeeper to talk to.

I chatted up the gatekeeper naturally.

He welcomed me to Mordavia adding that it was nice to have some fresh blood around. They seldom see strangers. Not happy with that phrasing in this particular environment I gotta say. Though it did turn out they don't get many visitors thanks to the swamp that formed a few years ago. He had lots of information:

The castle is that of the Boyars, the rulers of Mordavia's title. They're like Barons, own the castle and protect everyone within their domain. The castle had belonged to the Borgov family, but the last Borgov has been dead for many years. He disappeared at the Time of Darkness. Mordavia was a safe and lovely land before that time. Much has changed for the worse since.

Mordavia is the name of the valley, town and inn. It means Dark Valley. Delightful.

He seldom sees anyone from the castle, so not certain of who all lives there. There is the Master, a strange foreigner, the Master's daughter and strange guards he thinks may not be quite human. He hasn't seen the daughter, just knows the Master is proud of her. Katrina? Someone/something else?

The Master desires privacy and he respects that wish. As he always says, "The Will of the Master is the Shall of the Servant." Then he chuckled a bit because he came up with that himself and seemed very proud of it, heheh.

The foreigner is unpleasant with a short beard and mustache and funny hat. Rude when giving orders and has a habit of staring at people and licking his lips. Ad Avis? Vampiric Ad Avis? Demonic Ad Advis?? Someone else?

At night the gate's guarded by Necrotaurs whatever those are. Sounds like something to be avoided.

He also gave me directions to the town which I really needed to get to. So off I went again and a few screens later I found the gates.

Thank goodness.

I am a player who will happily talk to absolutely everyone I can and exploring new towns is great. However, it was kind of a nice change of pace to have some immediate puzzle solving and exploring to do. And, it has made getting to a town all the more relieving. So, good start here, good start. I'm happy so far.