Let's Play The Spirit Engine 2
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Chapter 1: Lights in the Forest
Part 2: The Keepers
Picking up a few feet after where I left off! A couple new things.
First, that statue in the background - that's a save point. Very important.
Second, my menu is active now, and it wants my attention!
I gained two levels from killing the Chokeblossom, so I have skill points to distribute! Let's get a run down of all available skills.
Fortitude: Passive skill available to all three classes. Determines maximum HP.
Aimed Shot: Attack that does piercing damage to the front enemy. +30% damage to large monsters.
Enpowder: A buff that adds concussive damage to the next attack made by the chosen ally.
Black Bullet: A poison bullet that does a little piercing damage, followed by a lot of ethereald amage over time.
High Fire: A piercing damage attack that can target enemies other than the one in front of the party.
Lucky Lady: A passive skill that increases Ionae's dodge chance.
Strike: Basic attack, does concussive damage. +25% damage against undead or demonic enemies.
Heal: Restores some HP to everyone in the party except for PyanPau.
Blessing: A buff that increases the character's level for the next three skills used.
Trick: A buff that makes the next melee attack against the character do 25% less damage, and also inflicts concussive damage against the attacker.
Chosen: A passive skill that grants magical and ethereal resistance.
Slay: A close combat attack tht does piercing damage, +30% damage against large enemies.
Recover: Restores some HP to Denever.
Swordfaith: Inflicts magical damage on the target, doesn't have to hit the front enemy. +25% damage to undead or demonic enemies.
Fortify: A buff that increases the armor of the party.
Might: A passive skill that increases combat damage and armor.
The primary way of controlling your characters in combat is via the creation of Skill Chains, which are what you select in combat - If Denever is set to the newly-created Defense chain, for example, he will start alternating executions of Fortify and Recover.
You can also make full-party chains! I have one for fighting large enemies, one for targetting a specific enemy, and one for general support/buffs.
But enough playing with menus. We have a child to rescue!
This is the larger area map! It keeps the game (okay, in later levels) from being totally linear.
Side-scrolling areas become dots on the map, which you can travel between once you've successfully crossed the adjacent area.
To the Misty Hollow!
Looks the same!
Let's get going and rescue that kid.
Battle time! Two new enemies here: Hylocampf and Celiocampf. Both have high Piercing resistance, but are nice and vulnerable to Ethereal. I'll hit 'em with some Swordfaith and Black Bullet.
That 123% under the Heliocampf is a damage multiplier - it increases as the monster receives more attacks consecutively, and decreases over time. The higher it is, the more damage the monster takes from attacks.
The same, of course, applies to us.
Anyway, these two are chumps, let's kill them and move on.
Hey! There's no need to wave that thing at us. We've come from the village to help.
Really? I don't recognize any of you. Can't be too careful out here.
It's alright, sir. We have one of the missing children with us.
Is that you, Isabelle? Thank goodness you're alright! What about Mister Thrisgellick? Elai?
Their guardian is dead, I'm afraid. We're still looking for Isabelle's brother. She said he might have come through this way.
Aye, he may well haev. We've been following a trail here. Paulson picked it up about half a furlong back, didn't you?
That I did. There's a lot of broken undergrowth and two sets of footprints - one large, one small - headed east at a great pace. That poor kid, he's losing ground.
We'd have gone further, but Belter here tripped over a nightbug and earned himself a nasty gash.
I didn't trip over it! It leapt out of the dark at me like black lightning, all teeth and claws! I'm lucky it only sank its nasty little teeth into my leg.
We had to stop and tend to him. We can't afford to leave anyone alone out here, not with those murderers on the loose. We're starting to lose our bearings already.
There's only the pale moon and those infernal, circling fireflies to light our way through the woods. We've got no compass, no map and we're a long way from the village now.
He's right, you know. I can't tell north from south and I have no intention of getting lost out here, too. The boy may be long gone by now. We should think of turning back whilst we still can.
There's no need for us to give up yet. So long as the cloud cover is sufficiently light, I can read our bearings from the alignment of the Altair constellation and Garathis on the far horizon.
The village is back in that direction. We can continue the search from here. You, your men and Isabelle should head back as soon as you're able.
If you're going on, I want to stay with you and find Elai. Please!
Aye, fine. We'll turn back once we get Belter back on his feet. I just hope you four have better luck than we did.
Great, we've got ourselves a regular little party here. Let's hurry, please, before a simple change of weather foils Denever's marvellous tracking skills.
ONWAAARD
Another battle, and another few things to observe!
First is these Fireflies, which aren't very sturdy, but act fast and do a lot of damage.
Second is, as you may have noticed last time, Isabelle at the back of the party there. No, she doesn't do anything, but she can go down, in theory, if the rest of us do. That would probably be bad.
Third is that we are badasses, and these things are not.
Demonstrated in the next fight: We're not the only ones who can adjust party order!
Sometimes weakened monsters will slink to the back of the party to let the tankier ones cover for them. This is when those specific-target attacks like High Fire come in handy.
Not that we need it here.
Anyway, that brings us to most of the combat system explained, so I'm gonna start skimming over a lot of battles now on account of RPG.
Brief comment from Denever!
Let's hurry ahead.
And that takes us to the end of the area, as indicated by the sign.
Hurry!
Please no, mister! Don't hurt me! I haven't done anything!
Hold it right there! You're cornered and there's no way out. Don't even think about doing anything stupid. Back away from the lad and keep your hands where we can see them.
No! Stay back, you fools! You must not interfere with...
The girl! She lives!
yes, terribly sorry about that. One of your friends wasn't quite so lucky. This really isn't turning out to be a good night for any of us.
Very well. For all our sakes, I shall make you this offer once. Walk away from this business, strangers. It is none of your concern. Leave the girl here and depart.
Assist us, and the Keepers can see to it that you are compensated with riches beyond your wildest dreams. Deny us, and my brothers shall hunt you to the ends of Medea for your meddling.
He sounds serious. Maybe we should strike a compromise, take the girl and get out of here, before he turns violent. I have no idea who these people are, but I don't want to make enemies out of them.
It's a little late for that, Ionae, and we're not leaving here without Elai. We have his attacker outnumbered and cornered.
The odds are three to one against you, stranger! We will be taking you into custody in accordance with Lereftese law before turning you over to the Inspectorate. Stay where you are!
No, there is too much at stake. You leave me no choice! Nothing must remain!
ELAI!
They're gone...
There's almost no trace of them left. I've not seen alchemy of this kind before. It left nothing here but a cloud of ash and sulphur.
Karvey forgive me. I couldn't reach him in time. I don't understand. Why would any man do such a thing?
Oh Elai, no...
Come on now, there's no need to make that kind of noise. It sounds awful and you'll upset other people.
Think positively! If I understand local law correctly, with your two closest relatives dead, you're legally free to take possession of their remaining belongings. Look at this as an early windfall.
AHHHHHHHH!
I really don't understand what the girl is diong. Could one of you two help me out here? Someone needs to make her stop this awful noise.
Oh for Karvey's sake, what's wrong with you? She needs to be held.
Yes, he could. If he's not intending to ambush us on our return, he could be retreating to find more of his kind as we speak.
I can't see any moer that we can do here. We should return to the village. It isn't wise to stay out in the forest any longer than we have to.
Finally. I've had just about enough of this madness tonight. Let's hope this is the end of it.
Back to the village!
We have bad news.
I-- We-- Well...
The boy is dead. We couldn't get to him in time. For what it's worth, two of the assassins have perished, too.
Oh, no. Poor Elai. How could anyone do such a horrible thing?
Merciful heavens, this is an awful business indeed. We're close to the border here. Do you think the murderers were Yaegaran? Those fiends might just do such a thing.
I don't believe so, though I've never heard of these 'Keepers' before. They left o indication as to who they were or what they wanted here. I'm so sorry, I wish we could have done more.
No, you mustn't be too hard on yourselves. Without your help, both children would surely have perished. It's a miracle you were here to save her.
There was nothing at all that we simple townsfolk could have done alone. There is nothing more that we can do if these monsters return to try again.
You're absolutely right, Mayor. The girl cannot stay here. These assassins will be back, and next time you won't be so lucky.
If you'd like, I can take custody of her. I'm travelling east towards Kelstarin. She will be safe with me, I can assure you.
It would be unwise for anyone to try and look after the child alone. We don't know who wants her dead, or why. We should let the authorities take charge of her wellbeing.
Being this close to the border, the army should be our first option. Longreach is not far from here. We could leave her in their custody for the time being.
On the edge of the Great Plains? You think she'll be safer next to a potential war zone?
Surrounded by twelve thousand soldiers in the strongest fortress in all of Lereftain? I spent many nights stationed there as a Guardsman and I cannot think of anywhere safer.
Denever's idea sounds sensible. With someone to watch over her night and day, we would be free to make some inquiries about her situation without putting her at risk.
This is quite unnecessary! An army fort is no place for a young girl. I'm quite happy to look after her myself. I'm sure she'd prefer that.
Maybe we should let Isabelle decide herself. What do you think, Isabelle?
I-I don't really know. But if I have to go anywhere, I want to go with you three.
Very well. Please excuse my outburst, I was only concerned for the child's safety. She seems to know what she wants, though. Be sure to take good care of her, and tell no one where you're taking her.
Goodbye, Isabelle. I hope you've chosen wisely.
Hmph. I wonder what's up with her?
I don't know. Perhaps she was just angry that she couldn't have done more to help? I know how she feels. I hope we haven't offended her.
You should go and pack, Isabelle. You have a long walk ahead of you. Do you have much to carry?
Not really. We didn't take much when we left home, and now that Ardal and Elai are gone--
Come with me. I'll help sort your belongings out.
I'm so glad that we have this settled. I'm sure Isabelle will be much safer with the three of you than she was hiding in our humble village.
Why do I keep hearing the word 'three' so much? I've gotten by fine on my own until now, and within an hour of meeting you I've found myself thrust into mortal peril and subjected to death threats from crazed killers!
It's alright, Ionae. We understand that you've been inconvenienced enough already. If you'd prefer to stay, we should be able to manage without any further assistance.
Longreach is not too far west of here. If we make good time, we can be there by tomorrow afternoon.
Oh no you don't. You're not leaving me here to find for myself. Those madmen could sneak up on my in my sleep to take their revenge and I'd never see it coming. You heard what they said. They're hunting us all now.
You've gotten me into this mess, and you're looking after me until... until they get bored and give up.
They were zealous to the point of suicide, so I'm not sure how long that might take, Ionae. But you're more than welcome to come with us until you feel safer.
Wonderful news! I will have travelling companions for the final stretch of my journey! When do we leave?
Immediately. It would be wise to move swiftly and under the cover of darkness, in case the horned assassins return in greater numbers. Do you feel up for a long walk, Isabelle?
I do. Please, let's go now. I just want to leave.
Then we should away! To Longreach, and safety.
So long, and take care, strangers. May fortune smile upon you all!
Next time: West!
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