Ivanfyodorovich

Aures - Act II, Party Update - level 8 Aures Niclesa Gregoria Sagani Pallegina I took these images after completing Blood Legacy, which is why you see Grieving Mother in some of the screen shots. I left Aloth out, because I'm going to be recruiting Maneha shortly. Onward!

My OSX install exploded in the middle of Defiance Bay questing, and I lost the photos from the first chunk of quests. That said, I didn’t take many, as the combat has proven easeful overall, with little to showcase. This post will try to keep things moving, in hopes that the content I’m heading for next will be more challenging. I’ll need to decide how much of The White March I’m going to complete with this group outside of the main quests. Table of Contents Aures - Act II, Chapter 1: Defiance Bay Introduction: Is this what we came to do? Part 1: In the city . . . the city of ‘Fiance In the city, we set out to learn as much as we can, gain allies, and look for what small ways we can alleviate the suffering being caused by the Legacy. A young boy trades us the location of a beetle figurine in exchange for a special dagger used by the Crucible Knights. We help a distraught and abused young woman with her relationship with a drug dealing fiancé. The fiancé was being held prisoner and impersonated. We killed the impersonator when he wouldn’t listen to reason. We protect an inept and deceitful Vailian Trading Company merchant. And recruit a strong willed and sharp tongued Vailian paladin. We send Eder back to the keep, promising to call for him when our status in the city is high enough to earn access to the records he desires. We investigate the disappearance of a young boy and track down his murderers. Inexplicably, we let the murderers go free (was not reading dialogue options well at 6:00am). We recover a stolen sea chest from some thieves, killing them when they attack us. We are ambushed by Doemenel Thugs, out for retribution for our defense of Verzano. Nicelsa level 5: Sure-Handed Ila Gregoria level 5: Level 3 spells We peacefully negotiate with the dozens gang harassing brothel customers, and convince them to stand down. We defeat rogue Engwithan Animats, and recover parts of a relic scepter. We sell the parts to an animancer in the Sanitarium, having little use for such a relic. Aures level 6: Weapon & Shield Style Despite Dustan’s misgivings and our own, we help the Crucible Knights with animancy research, hoping that it will prove more helpful if implemented by an organization with a strong code of ethics. We also help a Dozens member recover an heirloom breastplate through careful negotiation, learning that some of the Crucible Knights are bad eggs, showing all the worst aristocratic qualities Aures grew up around in Aedyr. Our status with the Crucible Knights allows us to buy new boots for Niclesa, which pair nicely with her Belt of Bountiful Healing. We attempt to investigate the lighthouse in Ondra’s Gift, but after a challenging battle with the spirits on the first floor, we get scared and do the next part of the animancy research quest for the Crucible Knights in Anslogg’s Compass, buying the Company Captain's Cap for Niclesa. After these purchases, we are running pretty low on gold. Somewhere in here the rest of the group hits level 6. Pallegina level 6: Wrath of Five Suns Aloth level 6: Deleterious Alacrity of Motion, Aspirant’s Mark Sagani level 6: Merciless Companion Niclesa level 6: Ancient Memory Gregoria level 6: Painful Interdiction All of this work to learn more about the city has been fruitful, but Aures reminds the group that we came here to investigate the Leaden Key. After a conversation with a ghost, we head into the catacombs to see what we can learn. We choose to spy, instead of fight, taking advantage of a mask left behind by a dead initiate. After leaving the Temple of Woedica, Aloth shares that he is awakened, too. We all had our suspicions. We agree to take him to the Sanitarium to see if we can find an expert to help. While in the catacombs, we search for Rowyna and find an Orlan in hiding, instead. Of all the factions vying for control of Defiance Bay, the Knights are the most stable, but they are not without flaws. The most just thing here is to help him flee. We also find Helig of Thein in the sewers and agree to help him in exchange for information about Rowyna. We will oppose this perverse and cruel person once we’ve secured what information we can. Before we head to the Sanitarium to investigate leaden key and Aloth, we stop by a house in Copperlane that Aures had a suspicious feeling about. Inside were a gang of well supplied thieves planning their next score. They attacked us and we killed them. Lord Reymont will want to hear about this. In the sanitarium we consult an expert on awakenings with Aloth, convincing him to allow her to publish her research. We also talk with Moedred and are compelled by his motivations for killing Helig. Whatever else we do, we will make sure Moedred’s work is completed. We negotiate with the Head Animancer to get access to patients, learning that Caedmon Adzo has been performing ever more harmful and risky experiments in an attempt to recover status and knowledge following a very public botched experiment. His intentions are pure, but the utter lack of care for the well being of the patients or the ethical concerns with his methodologies leaves Aures and the group feeling even more suspicious of animancy. To find out the Leaden Key has been pulling strings here, too, is not surprising. We fight our way out and tell the Head Animancer what we’ve learned. Even if the Leaden Key had not intervened, though, Adzo’s methods and ambition would have ended up in a similar place. It seems the Leaden Key pushed the cart faster, but it was already set on this track. As we leave the sanitarium, we are intercepted by a courier and meet with Lady Webb. She will prove to be a powerful ally, we think. We also talk with Kurren, who gives us a task to track down some missing people. Back in Ondra’s Gift, we convince a sex worker to give up an Engwithan Medallion (we swap out the Munca Arret for the Pilgrim’s Helm and add the Caed Nua bonus). We also head back to the Tower to complete the banshee quest. One there, I realize that I had already fought all the battles necessary to move the quest forward peacefully. In Brakenbury we turn in the Medallion quest and talk to one of the leads connected with the disappearances. Aures level 7: Reviving Exhortation We talk with Maerwith, and convince her to go meet with the Banshee. Pallegina level 7: Inspiring Triumph Aloth level 7: Confusion, Mara’s Writhing Tentacles Sagani level 7: Takedown Back to Ondra’s Gift, we complete the Banshee quest and talk with a patron at the Salty Mast about one of the disappearances. In Copperlane, we talk with the last of the disappearance lead and track down the source. For Lumdala, we hear out her offer, but can’t let her go free, killing her instead. (instakill opening volley with major damage from Pallegina). We confront the noble funding the murders, refusing to let him go free (resulting in his death by suicide). We let Dunryd Row know about both Lumdala and the noble, but not the minor helper. Part 2: Country Living We head out to Woodend Plains and get the scroll without much trouble. We keep on moving, heading through the gorge to Dyrford. Once there we agree to help find a murderer, though something about that story doesn’t sit right, convince the priest to tell us where the ruins are, talk with Lord Harond, and agree to help a farmer and a merchant. We follow up with the tanner and others in town about the missing woman, Aelys. The tanner says “the ogre did it”, so we go to Dyrford Crossing to find this orgre. Upon entering the cave, we level up. Niclesa level 7- Lo, Their Endless Host Gregoria level 7- Level 4 spells We fight the spiders in cave, and pull multiple groups. This actually felt like a challenge, unlike the previous hours of combat. Being level 5 when you start Defiance Bay means being over-leveled for almost everything. We negotiate with the Ogre and convince him to leave. It’s tempting to recruit him as an ally at the keep, but there are too many downsides with an ally like that in a public facing situation. We clear the cave, killing the Spider Queen. We go to get the dragon egg, and intimidate some of the mercenary gang to leave, killing the rest. Perhaps it would have been better to just pay them to leave and avoid the bloodshed. Exploring more of this countryside, we stumble into a fight with Forest Lurkers and Pŵgra and Mênpŵgra. This was also a challenge, though by that I mean mostly that I pulled out all the stops, including summons and high level spells. Charming one of the caster primordials helps tremendously. We head back to Dyrford and share what we’ve learned and accomplished with the farmer and merchant. Pallegina takes the farmer’s blunderbuss, thinking she could learn to use it to great effect. The signs of a skaen cult are troubling, but we aren’t quite ready to investigate it. We lie to the Domenel gang about Nyfre at Niclesa’s request. If we can foil their schemes peacefully, we will. On our way back to Defiance Bay, we stop at Caed Nua to collect some rewards and talk with a palace messenger Part 3: Back in the Bay When we get back we head for Heritage Hill. The battles here are mostly an auto attack/per encounter fiesta. The challenge is low enough, that I begin trying to get soul bound items upgraded, looking for Niclesa to receive critical hits. I give Niclesa that exceptional Estoc we picked up from one of the groups of adventurers/bandits/thieves and have her charge in first on most fights. Once we see Shod In Faith, I can switch back to the shield (or not, depending on the incoming damage). We are also having Gregoria auto attack as much as possible with Gyrd Háewanes Sténes. We’ve activated the displaced image proc on crit, which is the most valuable for her, though the 3 resolve will also be nice. We work our way through the tower. Darguls have lots of health, but don’t damage our group. We destroy the machine. Aures respects the importance of these Engwithan ruins for the Glanfathan people, but she believes meddling with souls is wrong on the small scale, much less on a grand scale like what the machine is capable of. Each person should have autonomy over their own soul. We return to the Hall of Revealed Mysteries and give Grimda back the scroll. We have enough spooky voices in our heads, without inviting even more of them. (I also forgot that I hadn’t hidden the scroll yet - whoops). We tell on Nadyn who is trying to get dangerous animancy research. The theorems of Pandgram have already borne enough bad fruit. We don’t need more of that kind of research, no matter how well intentioned. Onward to First Fires. We check in with the Valian Embassy, agreeing to try and find out more about illicit dealings in Engwithan artifacts. Upon returning to Crucible Keep, we find a party with forge knights gone wild. Aures level 8 - Bear’s Fortitude Aloth level 8 - Minoletta’s Concussive Missiles, Bear’s Fortitude The forge knights are challenging in the sense that they actually deal damage to the group, and stay alive much longer than most enemies we’ve run into. We advise Clyver to stop the research. This was not a great idea in the first place, and we’ve proven it at significant cost. Pallegina level 8 - Penetrating Shot Sagani level 8 - Weapon Focus (Peasant) We head to the sewers to end the threat of Helig. Of all the crimes committed through animancy, his feels symbolic. The violent imprisonment and control of someone’s soul and the cruel enjoyment all along. We kill him easily and convince Dalton to set Rowyna free. At the Charred Barrel for our meeting, we convince Emery to betray Gathbin. Then we head back to Caed Nua and diffuse the mob with gold. Our supply is much higher now, and the 1,000 we give is quite justified. We grab adventure rewards and head back down into the Endless Paths. Part 4: How low can you go . . . On level 2 we climb down the pit and clear backwards to the stair cases. Having secured the level, we confront the drake and find it cannot be negotiated with. It is powerful enough that we bring out all of our tools. Charmed, Paralyzed, Isolated, Destroyed. We clear level 4. Finding a new bow for Sagani. Niclesa level 8 - Beloved Spirits Gregoria level 8 - Bear’s Fortitude We zone up into slimes in level 3, kill a patrolling ogre, and go back down. We come back to level 3 from above with more camping supplies and a fresh rest. Time for Zolla. We bottleneck them in the doorway and charm & confuse a few to help mitigate the damage. Up Next: Party Update

Not sure on the number of priests. I was planning to research on another save, but my hard drive tanked again this morning while trying to update. I’m glad for those cloud saves. I think there were 2 priests in addition to the high priest (maybe 3, but that seems too many, given the sacrificial pit fight only has 2 regular priests, iirc). Your collision hypothesis seems more likely. I’d love to test it out more.

Looking at the screenshot again, I think I see it, too. Looks like we got hit with 3 different projections at once (plus a 4th soon after). It's nice to have someone else thinking through that. I'm not sure what else there was to do to prevent that. It's almost impossible not to clump up if you're doing a doorway kind of strategy. Charging in and bursting down the casters or hard CC would work. You could also debuff them quickly enough to reduce their accuracy or might. Given my strategy of corner pulls and tight hallways, hiding behind a wall of melee, they punished me well.

Aures - Act I, Chapter 3: To Unseat a Tyrant Part 1: House Cleaning We return with Sagani to the first level of the Endless Paths to clear out the last remaining Spiders and Looters. The spiders go down easily. The looters are much more dangerous for our group. We set up around the corner, and seemingly all of them are targetting Niclesa, who is burst down before I can react. She is hobbled via a crippling strike, and then one of the rogues crits her for most of her health. We stablize with lay on hands and Holy Radiance, but then she gets hit again and drops. I think this is our first knock out. I start pulling out all of the stops to turn things around. Sagani and the fox are making progress. 31 dmg hits from him are wonderful. Consecrated ground as a last ditch. We make it through. We clear Magran’s fork, except the boars, after resting. On to Esternwood. Not much to report there. Niclesa suggests we do some reconnaissance at Raedric’s Hold, and we try to get in through the sewers, only to find we aren’t strong enough and lack the proper tools. We go back to Gilded Vale to buy a crowbar, and return to the crypts under the hold. We fight some Guls. They have enough HP that we need to manage the fight, but they drop quickly to concentrated dps. Niclesa level 4: White Worms; Veteran’s Recovery Gregoria level 4: Interdiction We clear the rest of the crypts, with the exception of Osyra. We also don’t free Giacco. We don’t want to tip off Raedric that we’re coming for him. We head to black meadow to see what resources we can gather. The first battle is against 3 trolls. We engage in formation. Reny cuts through like butter. Trolls, Wichts, and the rest we clear out. We leave the Forest Shambler. We need a little bit more XP, and the temple seems like the best option. Things are easier than expected, especially the Skuldr Kings. Chillfog is so valuable, and so far zero misplacements resulting in friendly fire. I don't want to use this spell long term without a targeting circle, but while we still have Aloth, it's doing great work. Aures confronts Wirtan and charges him with redemption. We are still not quite ready for Raedric. Time to explore the Endless Paths. Part 2: Oh no, I think I just lost the game It's time for a Xaurip party. We euthanize the poisoned xaurip and clear our way to the sacrificial chamber. In the last fight before the chamber, Niclesa ate most of the Wurm fire breath and has dangerously low health. We decide to go clear the rest of the level before engaging the final battle. Aures level 5: Liberating Exhortation We pull the room around to the west, and Niclesa uses some potions of Vital Essence to restore her health during the pull. Things are looking great until an Iconic Projection decimates the group - knocking out Eder and Itamuk. I think this is it. The run is about to end on a non-quest trip to the Endless Paths. We stabilize with consecrated ground and every heal we can find. I use one of my scrolls of protection. My heart is racing and I chain pause and re-assess each time what I can do to turn this around. Somehow we make it through! White Worms goes boom! We choose not to engage the battle at the sacrificial pit right now after that scare. Instead, we move down to level 3, where we agree to help Thulgar, and gain a level disarming a trap by the entrance. Aloth level 5: Kalakoth’s Minor Blights, Expose Vulnerabilities Pull an Ogre and kill it on the bridge. Gain more levels. Eder level 5: Weapon Specilization: Adventurer Sagani level 5: Stalker’s Link Feeling a little bit better with our gained levels, we decide to camp and go ahead and kill the last group of Xaurips on level 2 to get Measured Restraint and a little more XP. We set up in the hallway around the corner and eat our food buffs. We pull around the corner, and wait. A few come around, including the high priest. We buff and blast it. I keep waiting for the mass of other Xaurips to come around too. They never come. We somehow pulled only 3 or 4. I send one of our tanks around to pull the rest of the group. Again, only 1 or 2 come with. We move up and try again. This time the rest of the group (minus 1 wurm) comes. We grab our rewards and head back to Gilded Vale. It’s time for Raedric! Part 3: You deserve what you get, but I still feel bad . . . We climb the wall, having already scouted the sewers. Donning the robes, we bluff our way to Nedemar and agree to rescue Giacco, who we saw in the crypts earlier. We use the stairs down through the kitchen, and face down Osyra. The fight is much quicker than I expected, and she dies while I’m not looking. We let Giacco go free and return to Nedemar to give him the news. After a rest, we use the stairwell from the door in the scriptorium to get to the throne room. We want to fight Raedric in the doorway to the bedroom, but I prepare the group inside of the door by the stairs, just in case it won’t work to sneak across the throne room. I’ve died on this fight in the past, trying to run from the throne steps, back to the bedroom. We are able to sneak across, though, and we set up in the bedroom. We even drop a trap, because it can't hurt. This time we try attacking one of the guards from range, without starting a conversation with Raedric. This isn’t how Aures would prefer to do things, but Raedric is clearly crazy and very well guarded. There's no way he's going to convince us to take another resolution. I mean, there's a big tree full of dead people. Sadly, I didn’t realize this would break the encounter. Only half of the guards come with the first crossbow shot and no Raedric. We kill them and send Niclesa out again to pull the rest. This time the other half comes, but still no Raedric. Now I just feel lame. We head back and Raedric is there by himself. He chases us to the doorway where White Worms and a quick beatdown remove him from the throne. This is not how it was supposed to be, but I guess I’ve learned a lesson here. Defeating Raedric before the end of Act I was supposed to feel really good. All of the excitement of the NR just disappeared when I broke the encounter. Now I just want to keep things moving. In the future, I plan to take these kinds of things head on, even if it feels risky or I need to out-level a little to make sure. Defiance Bay awaits . . .

Aures - Act I, Chapter 2: Caed Nua or bust Part 1: Temple Time Inside the Temple of Eothas we encounter some floating balls of light. The Will-o-wisps focus Niclesa who is wearing the hermit hat. Love to see those beautiful immunes. We use some spells because I'm still not sure how dangerous this will be. Invocations are now part of our normal battle plan. We fight the Skuldr's in doorway. Smooth sailing. Aures level 4: Shielding Flames Kana level 4: Beloved Memory; Thrice Was She Wronged . . . We kill some spiders. Aloth level 4: Hardened Veil; Combusting Wounds We clear the rest of the first floor and head out to Esternwood to get Eder the last few points of XP he needs. We clear the graveyard. Eder level 4: Weapon Focus Adventurer Back to Gilded Vale to rest and prepare for Caed Nua. We take the nice room this time (+1 Perception +1 Mechanics). I'm not sure if the +2 Resolve is better here, but my reasoning was based on the relatively low endurance of the spirits. We do a little equipment shuffling to make sure everyone has a non-piercing damage source, and we game plan for the spirits. Fan of Flames scrolls for Eder to use while Disciplined Barrage is up. Scroll of Nature's Mark for Kana to lower reflex and deflection. We buy 3 stacks for food to the team and we head to Caed Nua. Part 2: Ghosts, oh my! On the grounds, we kill a phantom and a group of Fire Blights without incident. Inside the keep, we set up our formation in the front corner, 2 rows of 3 across, packed in like sardines to avoid the teleports. Aures pulls and the spirits get stuck with only 1 or 2 being able to attack us at once. We let the Shadows live as long as we can and focus attacks on the backline. Aures drinks a potion of wizard's double. Nature's Mark, Combusting Wounds, and our shock and crush invocations, plus Eder's Scroll of Fan of Flames do the work. I realize I never ate the food. I think we’re going to be just fine. Down below in the paths, the spiders are easily dispatched, but we remain in combat after clearing two groups. Aures moves south to body pull the one in the north side cell - as she is running back, she gets engaged alone. We move everyone else up to support, and let our invocations slam down, vaporizing the spiders all at once. More spiders and beetles in the doorways on the floor below. Ring of Overseeing goes to Gregoria for now. Maerwald next. Food buffs for everyone and a rest, keeping the accuracy vs. spirits. After a concerning conversation filled with cycles of violence, we flee behind the south doorway and 5 drink potion of bulwark of elements. And we wait. And wait. I realize my plan for that scroll of Defense was ill conceived. Maerwald kills a blight with no one else in the room. Not sure what happened there. Aures runs up to see what's happening. He is still slowly coming from the room. She runs back. Still nothing. She runs back north and he is stuck in the doorway behind a blight that is also stuck. A crossbow bolt loosens things up and Aures eats a fireball to minimal effect. In the doorway, our party unleashes. Did I mention that there are 4-6 spider corpses piled up here? I missed the screen cap, but Kana hits with White Worms for 108. We finish him off quickly and run back to his room to kill the remaining blights. That could have been so much worse, but we were prepared. We pop up to claim the keep, and then head back down to continue clearing our way to the Spider Queen. The group is starting to look a little worn, but we continue using our strategies from before. Combusting Wounds helps, but the real heroes are the invocations again. The stilletto sits in our inventory for now. We kill some beetles, but health is starting to run low on Niclesa. We run back to Gilded Vale for a free rest (we are out of camping supplies), and then head to Woodend Plains. On the way, Kana lets us know that he would really prefer to explore the safer parts of the keep, and continue with his research. Aloth mentions something about the group missing his fashion sense, and Kana offers his turban. Aloth accepts, giving Kana a laugh. At the cross roads we come across a dwarf hunter who is on a search. Aures thinks she could be a valuable ally, and we ask her to join. Kana heads back to Caed Nua to continue his research. The plan next is to gather resources and reach level 5 to prepare to overthrow the tyrant Raedric.

Thanks for the feedback, y'all. Question - has anyone else observed that when you use a ranged Flames of Devotion to start a fight, you will retain both uses after (most of the time)? Does anyone know why?

Aures - Act I, Chapter 1: Gilded Vale Part 1: Assembling a Team Part 2: Something need doing? We find Calisca's sister and promise to help her, as well as the blacksmith and the inn keeper. We also intervene in a dispute about grain prices. Aures is already feeling that her particular set of skills will be well used here in the Dyrwood. In Valewood we cautiously rescue Tenfrith and fight a pack of wolves to reach a dead adventurer on top of a wall. Nearby we find another minor cloak of protection that Aures dons. We make our way to a cave where we suspect the bear Nonton told us about lives. We open with a FoD arquebus shot from Aures on the Bear that hits! Gregoria - Armor of Faith; Eder - Potion of Power, Disciplined Barrage. Kana begins auto-attacking the bear. Aloth fires an arcane assault. The first young bear to engage crits Aures and I look at it's accuracy of 75. Maybe this was a bad idea. Aures uses Crucible of the Soul. The bear pulls around the side and engages Niclesa, who is now flanked by a Young Bear. The Bear crits Niclesa for 28 and the first young bear crits Aures again. Eder is making progress, though. He's crit the young bear twice now, and brings it down with a final auto attack. Gregoria casts halt and nails a 15 second stuck on the Bear. It's in melee range, but has a large penalty to deflection, allowing our ranged party members to pelt away. A few timely heals, and we down the rest of the batch. Eder deals much of the damage with his fine estoc. (I'm still getting used to taking screenshots while playing - it is getting better) From the bears we head back to Gilded Vale, check in with Nonton and send the lovers away in peace. Quick stop at the inn to collect the reward for rescuing Tenfrith, and a rest in the common room. Somewhere in here Aloth, Eder, and Kana level up to 3. Aloth: Infuse With Vital Essence, Mirrored Image Eder: Disciplined Barrage Kana: Come, Come Soft Winds of Death We head to Black Meadow to find our way south to Madhmr Bridge. We kill a troll without too much trouble, and find a pack of spiders in our way. It looks like 3 of them when we pull using a FoD arquebus shot, but 3 more are right behind. Now I'm a little worried. The spiders are hitting hard, even with Armor of Faith up. The formation holds, though, and Eder makes quick work of them, knocking them prone and following up with damage. As he moves to finish the final spider, he gets too close to a nearby Wicht. This doesn't look good. I've already used Holy Radiance this battle and have no AoE damage spells besides the Chants. Most of the Wichts cluster around Aures, who heals with a Lay on Hands and a First Aid while the rest of the team piles on the damage. A few break through the line, and one attacks Aloth, who already cast Mirror Image and Arcane Veil, reducing the damage he's taking significantly. The Wichts have very low health, and fall quickly, but that felt dangerous. Already the no-reload run is feeling much more exciting than the previous. We had to the bridge, talk with Peregrund, and easily kill two people labeled as looters. When we make our way down to the shore, we find out that these are poor people scavenging to survive and we promise them we will lie to Peregrund. This is not something Aures likes to do, but there doesn't seem to be an easier solution. A lie on behalf of those in need is one of the few she's willing to tell. I wrongly think that deception might lower my disposition and confirm that I haven't gained any reputation as deceptive, then realizing as I write this that while I gain for being honest, it's cruel and aggressive that I lose disposition for. Those should be easier to avoid. Part 3: More work? From the bridge, I head to Analogs Compass. We fend off the Xaurip attack at the entrance, and make our way to Ranga through another band of Xaurips. Standard tactics that will persist through the run. 3 melee in front, ranged in back. We agree to Ranga's request and fight the north camp of Xaurips, remembering to use our chanter invocations for the first time this run. After an iconic projection takes the the whole group to 3/4 endurance, we quickly switch to focus on the Xaurip Priest. I've been holding back Holy Radiance because the healing might make a difference in these early battles. Here it heals us right back up to full. Aloth casts magic missles twice on the Xaurip Priest to great effect. White worms is awesome. Reny Daret's ghost mops up the Champions. Turn return to Range for our next task, and Niclesa and Gregoria level up to 3. Niclesa will be our Mechanic for this run, so most of her skill points will go there. Niclesa: Blessed Was Wengridh, Quickest of His Tribe Gregoria: Level 2 spells We camp, selecting the primordial accuracy buff where we can, just in case. In the cave we successfully pull the sporeling patrol by itself. Back to Gilded Vale, and we report the truth to Aufra. As we leave her house we run into a man named Kolsc. After some questions that confirm what we suspected about him, we promise to unseat Raedric. If Kolsc intends to take the throne after, it will some corrective to the repressive and violent system in place now. We aren't strong enough to face Raedric yet, though. First we have a few other things to do. Onward to find Tuatanu's shipment. We sneak up on the camp, but they aren't hostile to us, so I hesitate to attack from stealth. In the quick second it takes to wonder if I should, we are spotted and my plan for crossbow and arquebus shot opener is gone. We brace for the thieves to reach us. This time I have Aloth buff up and cast Concelhaut's Quarterstaff. I also add Blessing to the buffs now that we have more spell casts available per rest. Gregoria tries to halt one of the thieves before it can get to the group, but Eder is engaged anyway - guess he will have an easier time with that one. The leader runs through our line with wild sprint, but comes back to attack Niclesa. It isn't until I see the reloading icon next to her portrait that I realize I didn't switch her from the crossbow. That low deflection must be why he went for her instead of Kana in his padded armor. An Outlaw was not so confused, though, and makes his way back to Kana, who is casting white worms on the first bandit dead on the frontline. My ranged attackers switch from the leader to this Outlaw. Eder finishes off his bandit, so I move him to the back to knockdown. We drop the Outlaw, finish off the leader and engage the two archers pelting us at the same time. Shipment in hand, we head south to investigate the body we noticed after the wight attack and pick up a new pair of boots for Niclesa. We return to Gilded Vale and return the shipment to Tautanu, taking advantage of the generous discount he's given us to purchase something Aures noticed the first time we came to the shop - The Outworn Buckler. There's something about this shield that just feels right to her. She tries it on - a perfect fit. Next up - that desecrated temple of Eothas that Gregoria has been asking we visit. Inventory Update:

Hi all. I've been enjoying following along with your runs. I think this is a terrific way to experience the game and to share community around it. I'm excited to join in. Feedback is welcome. Aures, Wood Elf Paladin, Shieldbearer of St. Elcga: Introduction Game Version: 3.7.0.1318 with White March I & II & Deadfire Pack Difficulty: Path of the Damned Settings: Maim Before Death: Off; Injuries: On; Expert Mode: On; Trial of Iron: On Mods: None Expert Mode: I'm going for my first Frozen Crown run with this group. I'm close to a completionist PotD run with another party using reloads, and I feel relatively good about going for a PotD NR along with expert mode. I've chosen a party to suit the lack of targeting circles (no wizard!). I also wanted to use some different companions than my current end game run, where I'm playing with all of the PoE2 companions plus Kana. This group will be all female and will feature 2 custom characters (a priest and a chanter), along with Pallegina, Sagani, and Maneha. I will use other companions until I'm able to recruit the full team. I haven't yet decided who will become the Hercule Poirot of Caed Nua yet, but easy money is usually on Durance or Kana. Main Character, Aures, Wood Elf Paladin, Shieldbearer of St. Elcga: Main Character Description: Custom Party Members: Gregoria, Mountain Dwarf Priestess of Eothas Niclesa, Wild Orlan Chanter Party Plan & Builds: