HoonDing

Our party exits the cave and enters the main mercenary camp in the gorge just as Baron Dajin of Nadoret himself is holding a speech for the assembled mercenaries. BARON DAJIN OF NADORET: Some folks would say that we

Teaser:

I vote for Nepenthe providing us with a Let's Play of DA2.

I see they learnt nothing from Fahrenheit then. At least in that game they had the excuse that it was rushed by the publisher near the end.

The romances and the linearity in his movies. + explosions, when you hit something with a sword.

Beggar Greyhair takes our party to the edge of the Dark Forest where the Harbormaster disappeared into. BEGGAR GREYHAIR: This is where Orbert was seen tramping into the woods with some henchmen. But where exactly... ARDO: It's alright, Greyhair. I think he's on his way over here already, our busy harbormaster. The harbormaster and his cronies show up and enter the Dark Forest after taking smoke torches from a hidden crate. Using smoke torches themselves, the party enters the Dark Forest and follows the Harbormaster's trail. Without the smoke torch, the party would be attacked by endless waves of increasingly tough animals. The party confronts the Harbormaster while he's looking for the secret entrance to the castle in a rock face. HARBORMASTER ORBERT: By the thunderboxes, it's you again?! What is this? URDIRIEL: Absolutely right... it's us. Surprised? HARBORMASTER ORBERT: Not really. I suspected right from the start that you were up to no good. You're very persistent, seeing you're even still alive. At least we got one of you. So my trap at the harbor was of some use after all. URDIRIEL: Then you also have Fayris on your conscience. JAAKON: He hasn't had one of those in a long time ... If he did, he wouldn't have given us free rein. HARBORMASTER ORBERT: Did you really believe you could snoop around my harbor and get away with it ? If you did, then you're even dumber than I thought. ARDO: Stop! In the name of the Emperor: Put down your weapons and surrender! HARBORMASTER ORBERT: I have bad news for you. It seems that neither you nor the Emperor has a thing to say here. Recruits, Coldstone's orders are clear! This entrance must remain secret! Make mincemeat out of them! Finally, we get to kill that annoying jerk of a Harbormaster. After he and his cronies are dead, Urdiriel finds the key to the secret entrance on his corpse. Urdiriel then locates the keystone in the rock wall and the secret entrance to the castle opens. Once inside, however, there is a surprise: the party didn't enter the castle but a cave system that serves as a mercenary base... soon they are addressed by a mercenary. MERCENARY 1: Ah, fresh meat! Welcome, recruits! Where's the harbormaster? He's normally so keen to collect his little fee at once. CANO: [Lie] Oh, Orbert told us we should go ahead in the meantime. He probably wanted to check something outside. He'll collect his money later. MERCENARY 1: [success] So? What does he want to look at? Oh well, he'll tell us in due course. The main thing is that you're here. Get your tabards from that chest up there. MERCENARY 2: Hey, look at that, Sergeant! That fair-haired guy's doublet is covered in blood! MERCENARY 1: So it is! You look as though you've just come from battle! What have you been doing? CANO: [Lie] We were attacked by a pack of wolves in the forest. We had to dispatch a couple of them to get them to leave us alone! MERCENARY 1: [success] So there are problems with those beasts again, hmm? I'd hoped that that was over for now! Well, good, I'm glad you made it. Like I said, find yourselves a couple of tabards that fit you out of the chests there, and go out into the gorge. Guard Gerald is already waiting for you. So for now, our party is forced to play along with the mercenaries, and must find an entrance to the castle somewhere in the mercenary camp. NEXT: in disguise

There's not even a need to wait for a Let's Play. There's a thread on the Bioboards where the entire game is spoiled.

Well, DA2 and Witcher 2 are coming very soon...

There's so many slashers coming out this year (Kingdoms of Amalur, Hunted: Demon's Forge, Dark Souls and who knows what else) with a lot more marketing and hype behind them, that DS3 is probably going to be overlooked.

Alice already killed the Duchess, the Mad Hatter, the Red King, the Jabberwock and the Queen of Hearts in the first game. What else is left to kill? Evil Humpty Dumpty?

BROTHER EMMERAN: Wait! I beg of you! BROTHER EMMERAN: Look at me, Narog! Don't you recognize me? CRAB BEAST: Da... Dar... Darog?! Is it really you? BROTHER EMMERAN: Leave the darkness of this place and follow me to the eternal flame... my brother! NAROG: Finally, you have found me. I have endured here in the darkness for an eternity... NAROG: Alone with my rage and my despair. My hatred soaks every stone of this place... NAROG: But I shall remain in the darkness no longer... it binds me no longer. I am free... BROTHER EMMERAN: May you find peace now... my brother! BROTHER EMMERAN: Thank you! I am deeper in your debt than I will ever be able to repay. URDIRIEL: I don't understand... Why are you calling this monster your brother? What just happened? BROTHER EMMERAN: I know I owe you an explanation. This place was the object of my soul quest. The soul spark of my dead twin brother's was trapped here. Finally, he is free... I am sorry I couldn't tell you the entire truth. But the oath that binds me to the Riverfather also prevented me from becoming involved. I could only trust in your heroism. URDIRIEL: But you did get involved in the battle. Didn't that break your oath? BROTHER EMMERAN: Well, I did intervene, but to create peace, not to fight. But I could only free my brother's soul spark once you had contained the evil. URDIRIEL: What exactly happened with your brother? BROTHER EMMERAN: Narog was my twin brother. As you may know, the bond between twins is very close among us Angroshim. It is almost as if we share a soul. We grew up in Tosh Mur, the place the Human's know as Wood Watch. Side by side, we delved in the mines of L

Descending winding stairs and killing more morfus guarding treasure chests, the party reaches the heart of the Temple of Efferd. Upon entering the final chamber, a huge crablike monster will arise from the water and attack our party. The fight with the Crab Beast is the toughest in the game, since the monster will periodically summon a lot of giant crabs and morfus to help. When the Crab Beast is near death, it summons forth the waters of Efferd and renders our party unconscious. However, a deus ex machina appears to save our party: Brother Emmeran.

Once the dragon is slain, the party finds Sanraya's soul instrument among its considerable loot. The party makes a quick return to Hammerberg to grant Sanraya her soul instrument back. Upon death, the dragon also dropped an artifact that seems to be connected to the Temple of Efferd. It is time to return to Brother Emmeran for advice. URDIRIEL: I have another strange fragment. It was guarded by a Water Dragon. BROTHER EMMERAN: A Water Dragon... doubtless summoned by Efferd's anger to lay waste to the realm of the Riverfather. But show me the artifact. Hmm, let me see... it is similar to the other artifact you brought me. I'm sure it also belongs to the temple. I can feel the power of the Ocean God. Now, our party is ready to tackle the Temple of Efferd. The Temple of Efferd consists of 9 levels of tunnels infested with giant crabs and morfus. After a lot of tedious combat, the party reaches a mosaic puzzle that needs to be solved to get past a dead end. The cube looted from the Water Dragon's body is the final piece needed to complete the mosaic. Upon solving the puzzle, a bridge will materialize and the party can continue into the heart of the temple.

It is now time for our party to pit themselves against the Water Dragon that Sanraya spoke of. The Water Dragon pops up soon as the party arrives at its cave. It turns out to be more a plesiosaur than a dragon. The dragon is very easy with all our party members having access to the best skills, weapons & equipment.

DA 2 will be the very first slam dunk not developed by Obsidian.

Are there any good alternatives? Photobucket is even worse.

Not far across the bridge is a camp with a lot of Orcs (and one Ogre). Quite a difficult fight, considering the party is heavily outnumbered and there are several Orc archers. Jaakon's fireworks, however, are quite helpful. A crevice in the rock face leads to a hidden valley where another Orc camp is located. The last Orc camp has three Ogres and ten Orcs, but can be picked off one by one by carefully approaching the camp from the side. With this camp cleared, the party is done with the Hunting Preserve. The party returns to Nadoret to acquire/craft some heavy armour for Ardo and Forgrimm. At this point will be approached by Old Greyhair and have the opportunity to start the final part of the main quest. However, for now this will be ignored. BEGGAR GREYHAIR: Something

Back at the Elven woods, Urdiriel tells Alari Springborn about her sister Sanraya, currently living among the pirates in Hammberg. ALARI SPRINGBORN: Sanya bha, feyiama. Did you find Sanraya? URDIRIEL: Yes, she lives with the River Pirates and is happy there ALARI SPRINGBORN: Like those Humans who were here? But doesn't she have to block out all that noise just to bear it, and then shout down the others just to be heard? URDIRIEL: She gets by. She is fascinated by their stories and has had some adventures of her own. ALARI SPRINGBORN: Oh, she can sing of it when she returns home one day! When she yearns for the light and finds her way back to us... URDIRIEL: Time will tell. However, the Elves now have another problem that needs solving. ISALIEL WINGSTROKE: Fate guides your steps! We welcome your return with joy, feyiama, for your help is needed again. URDIRIEL: Not the ruins again? ISALIEL WINGSTROKE: No, the lake forest to the north. The river from there carries impure water with a terrible stench. The creatures are sick and restless. We can use magic to purify the water, but the source remains a mystery. Our refined senses cannot bear the stench and in the distance a misty cloud obscures the lake. URDIRIEL: It can't smell worse than Forgrimm. I'll take care of it. In the northern forest, the party is attacked by a lot of animals, bears included, driven mad by the stench. Urdiriel renders them all docile with the Elvens pell "Meek you be". Due to the high level difference between the party and animals at this point, killing them is no longer worth it since they all give 0 experience. The source of the stench appears to be the body of a Linnorm. The problem can be solved by applying the Amoeba spores that Urdiriel bought from Crooked Otto a while back. Upon returning to Isaliel, the party however is sent back... due to some unforseen consequences. Feasting upon the body of the Linnorm made the Amoebas full-grown. After whacking them, the party finds the High Elven sword that Gwendala is looking for. After returning the sword to Gwendala, the party is finished with the Elven woods. The party then returns to the Hunting Preserve, where the way across the stone bridge has finally been cleared. The rest of the Orcs can now be purged.

Returning to Van Haring at the Tollgate to turn in the pirates' silver emblems and gold, the party is introduced to someone new: Ulwina Neisbeck, another NPC from Drakensang 1. ULWINA NEISBECK: Pleased to meet you. Angwart has told me a lot about you. COMMANDANT VAN HARING: Yes... Madam Neisbeck is one of the most respected ladies in all Ferdok and urgently requires help. You seem to be the best for the job. URDIRIEL: What is your request? ULWINA NEISBECK: My poor brother has fallen into the hands of those villainous pirates. We can't afford the ransom those criminals are demanding. My family and I are desperate. URDIRIEL: I want to deal directly with the pirates. Maybe they'll show some pity when I explain our situation. I heard you might be able to help me find the pirates. ARDO: Fair Lady, I bow before your courage! But as a man of honor and a knight, I cannot allow you to put yourself in such danger! Allow me and my companions to free your brother! ULWINA NEISBECK: Oh, this is too generous of you, Sir...? ARDO: Ardo. Ardo of Boarstock! ULWINA NEISBECK: Oh, so it's you... well, many thanks Sir Boarstock. I am moved by your chivalry. But I'd still rather try on my own. If you could just show me the way? URDIRIEL: Yes, I can tell you the way to the pirate camp. COMMANDANT VAN HARING: What? A lady like you, defenseless among that pack of ruffians? By my honor, I cannot permit this! I wish we had more men, then we'd finish that scum once and for all! ULWINA NEISBECK: Yes, it is regrettable that we are forced to take such measures. But don't worry, I will take care. Could you tell me where to find their camp? URDIRIEL: Speak with the captain of the Thalaria. He will show you the way. ULWINA NEISBECK: Thank you, I will. Goodbye, Angwart. Adieu! Ulwina Neisbeck leaves and as the party goes on their way, Commandant Van Haring calls them back. COMMANDANT VAN HARING: Er, just a moment. I'm not very happy about the idea of this young lady being at the mercy of that pirate scum. And in my jurisdiction! Unfortunately I cannot spare any of my men. But someone should look for Madam Neisbeck at the pirate camp and make sure she's safe. COMMANDANT VAN HARING: Do you think you could do it? I'd feel much happier. Well, think about it and err... good luck on your travels. The party returns to Hammerberg and finds Ulwina Neisbeck in the Captain's Wheel, quarreling with Eilif Thunderfist. EILIF THUNDERFIST: Neisbeck woman, be silent! EILIF THUNDERFIST: You sent this reptile to me, Urdiriel Teardream? URDIRIEL: She asked me to help to free her abducted brother. ULWINA NEISBECK: Yes, the uncertain fate of my brother... Captain Thunderfist has been very uncooperative. Even though I've done my best to appeal to her common sense. EILIF THUNDERFIST: Lightning take you! Do you ever stop talking, woman? Get out of my sight! ULWINA NEISBECK: Tsk, and she calls herself a pirate leader! I won't waste any more of my time on you, Eilif Thunderfist. But pray to your holy whale that you never cross me again! After Ulwina Neisbeck leaves, Eilif reveals to Urdiriel what's really going on. EILIF THUNDERFIST: You can smell people like her a mile off, even upwind and even among liars, thieves and pirates! ULWINA NEISBECK: What did she do that angered you so? EILIF THUNDERFIST: Dead? Are you sure? She told me that she wanted to free him. URDIRIEL: As sure as Soorman is dead. He must have wanted to pocket the ransom himself. Take a look in his hut in the southwest. Ulwina's brother should be freed! EILIF THUNDERFIST: With pleasure. I also want to know what's going on. Following Eilif's advice, the party heads to the hut and finds some of Soorman's remaining cronies. Killing them frees Ulwina Neisbeck's brother. VITOLD NEISBECK: Are you another lackey of that nefarious Irontaste? Do the Gods plan my end? URDIRIEL: My name is Urdiriel Teardream. Thunderfist sent me to release you. Captain Irontaste is dead. VITOLD NEISBECK: Praise be to Tsa! Many of my companions have died at his hand. I feared to hear Golgari's wings myself. But my prayers were answered. URDIRIEL: Another thing. Your sister got a ransom demand and traveled here personally... VITOLD NEISBECK: What? Ulwina is here? I... I had already escaped two of her bounty hunters, but now I'm a prisoner here! Please, by the Gods, help me! URDIRIEL: What do you suggest? VITOLD NEISBECK: [He takes out a hidden item] When my father - may he rest in peace - handed the business over to us, he had Leonardo the Mechanicus create two music boxes. VITOLD NEISBECK: But Ulwina doesn't like to share. She wants sole control. Give her my timepiece and tell her I'm dead. If the Gods wish it, I will escape. URDIRIEL: How can you just leave half of your inheritance to that woman? VITOLD NEISBECK: My life is worth more to me. I can only recommend that you stay away from her. She is completely unscrupulous... Thank you and farewell. URDIRIEL: Here, take these 10 ducats. They should help you on your way. VITOLD NEISBECK: I am fortunate indeed to have met such an honorable and generous savior. I thank you, Urdiriel Teardream, and I hope to repay this debt one day. May the Twelfgods be with you! Now, the party can earn a fair amount of gold by tricking Ulwina Neisbeck. ULWINA NEISBECK: Oh, you again. Listen, my patience is at an end. Anyone who gets rid of my brother once and for all will be richly rewarded, understood? The rest is up to you... URDIRIEL: I found this by your brother's body. [Give Ulwina the music box] ULWINA NEISBECK: Really ... yes, it must be true! I had my doubts about hiring you, but you have earned your reward. Here, I think this should be appropriate. And now, farewell. Reporting back to Eilif Thunderfist then ends the quest. NEXT: wrapping up Elven Woods & Hunting Preserve.

When Avarosh and his thugs lie dead, Prince Arom reveals what's really going on. PRINCE AROM: What a battle! Avarosh and the other traitors have met their end. It's good that the monsters of the deep held them up for so long. URDIRIEL: Is it not yet time to tell me more about the delving? I'm sure you know more than you have told me so far. ARDO: It seemed that Avarosh knew you? PRINCE AROM: You fought well. You deserve to learn the truth. Listen well! I was here once before, as a young Dwarf. I was accompanied by my friend Torlosh, a smith of Angrosh-given skill. We were driven by the craving for adventure and a certain amount of defiance for my father. PRINCE AROM: We sought the secret of Norgamashzrom and had heard that a Dwarf by the name of Avarosh was looking for adventurers. He had found a few mineshafts that might lead there. We met Avarosh and made a deal with him. He would show us the entrance to Norgamashzrom. In return, we would recover a rare metal from the bottom of the delving for him. Anything else we found would belong to us... URDIRIEL: I understand. Avarosh deceived you. PRINCE AROM: ... He certainly did! We entered the delving. Then we saw them... the corpses of the other Dwarves. They had murdered each other. They must have been the first expedition... also sent by Avarosh. As we stood there and wondered why the Dwarves had killed each other, I started to hear a whispering in my head. The voice was very quiet at first... but as we went deeper it grew louder... and harsher. PRINCE AROM: I realized that Torlosh heard it too when I saw his face. He was no longer my old friend... something had possessed him... he stared at me with hate-filled eyes... URDIRIEL: The ore spoke to you, just as it did to Avarosh and his men. It is just as well the Leprechaun's spell is protecting us. PRINCE AROM: Yes... we probably would have been at each other's throats. Just like Torlosh and me all those years ago. But I'll tell you about that later. Let us set off now, we must put an end to all this... URDIRIEL: I don't think I quite understand what you mean. Arom? You want to... PRINCE AROM: ... I want to get right to the bottom and end this. I'll do away with that hell iron once and for all. URDIRIEL: How? PRINCE AROM: I have some very special Hylailian fire. It burns with such a heat that even huge rocks melt. If I light it at the heart of the mountain, the entire delving will collapse in on itself. URDIRIEL: I'm with you. Let's go. PRINCE AROM: Scales and teeth! So be it. The party moves on and enters Norgamashzrom proper... and eventually finds a destroyed elevator guarded by several rock goblins and a rock golem. After all enemies are disposed of, Prince Arom reveals more. PRINCE AROM: Do you see the remains of the elevator? That is where my friend Torlosh died... many years ago, through his own treachery. URDIRIEL: Do you want to tell me about it now? PRINCE AROM: Yes, I will. You have earned it. This passage leads to the heart of the delving. That's where the unholy metal is. It is alive and immeasurably evil. Legends say that it was brought into the world by the arch-demon Agrimoth himself. PRINCE AROM: Torlosh and I fought there. I was able to withstand the call of the unholy metal, but Torlosh wanted to bring it to the surface. He wanted to use it to forge powerful weapons to use against our enemies... oh, such folly. When I told him that I would never allow it, he attacked me. He was full of rage and the whisperings of the metal seemed to make him stronger. We fought for almost two hours and... I couldn't kill him. URDIRIEL: What? You were unable to defeat him? PRINCE AROM: No, you don't understand... how could I kill... my best friend? I fled... and ran to the elevator... As it took me to the surface I saw Torlosh below, smashing at the machinery, his face filled with hate.. I managed to jump out just before the whole thing came crashing down and buried Torlosh. URDIRIEL: What happened to Avarosh? And why did you not return? PRINCE AROM: I left the delving full of despair and rage. With a couple of well-placed blows, I collapsed a couple of supports and blocked the entrance to Norgamashzrom. I went to Avarosh and vowed that I would punish him if he ever looked for the forbidden delving again. I told my father that Torlosh died a hero's death. I could not tell him the truth... to this day. URDIRIEL: [Perception] Tell me Arom, where is Torlosh's body? PRINCE AROM: Hmm... maybe the elevator did not kill him outright and he managed to crawl a little deeper into the delving. Hurry... I must know where his body lies. Not much further on, the party reaches the heart of the delving... a nasty surprise awaits. The horribly mutated Torlosh is still alive and needs to be killed. After killing Torlosh, Arom sets the charges of Hylailian fire and the party hurries out of the delving. Mission accomplished. A thankful Arom awards the party with his own axe, Anglagorum. A truly killer weapon in the hands of Forgrimm.

As the party returns to the Thalaria, a Dwarf stops them. Apparently there's trouble at the Dwarven delving... another sidequest beckons. BRIDGEMAN: You there! Go up to the delving, quickly! Avarosh is in the mines and trouble's brewing up there. URDIRIEL: What happened? BRIDGEMAN: I don't know exactly. You helped us out before. Maybe the ghost came back? Back at the delving, we meet another NPC from Drakensang 1: Prince Arom, son of Arombolosh, King of the Dwarves. PRINCE AROM: I heard that you helped Avarosh. Do you have any idea what you've done? Ka baskan draxin! URDIRIEL: Does it have anything to do with Norgamashzrom, by any chance? PRINCE AROM: You know about Norgamashzrom? You know my father's law forbidding all from searching for the unholy delving? URDIRIEL: Yes, I know your father's law. But I wanted to help the Dwarves who had been turned to stone. PRINCE AROM: That does you honor! Now I need your help. We must stop Avarosh or something terrible will happen. URDIRIEL: Fine, what do you have in mind? PRINCE AROM: We must go into the delving together and stop Avarosh from going deeper. I will tell you more on the way. Let's go right now! URDIRIEL: I will follow you, Prince Arom. Back in the delving, the "Bosnickel" shows his face again. BOSNICKEL: Heeheehee, oh no oh no... here I am again. Hear me, sweet prince! URDIRIEL: You must be Bosnickel. He who guards this delving so wisely, keeping strangers from the hell iron. BOSNICKEL: Yes, that is I. But what anguish! This heroic brute chased me off... I faiiiiled. URDIRIEL: I'm sorry. I'd have helped you if you'd told me what you were planning. BOSNICKEL: How was I to know who you are? If you told me why, what, who you are, I'd have told you who, what, why I'm here! Heehee, apology accepted. Here, have a flower! Heehee. URDIRIEL: As your vanquisher, I command you: What must I do to stop Avarosh? BOSNICKEL: My powers are at an end - now you must change the trend! Heeheehee... URDIRIEL: Speak plainly and clearly, we're running out of time! BOSNICKEL: As the vanquisher wishes! Starting report from the delving: After ejection of poor Leprechaun NOGO, Avarosh and his men have breached the delving again. They have opened the entrance to the shaft known as Norgamashzrom in the Dwarven tongue and are now in the passageways. They're following the call of the hell iron and their greed for said iron is evolving into evil and hatred for all that lives. BOSNICKEL: With his last strength, NOGO managed to cast a powerful Leprechaun curse commanding all other creatures of the deep to attack the intruders. If you should decide to stop the Dwarves before they reach the mother lode, NOGO will cast a spell protecting you from the power of the hell iron. The magic should protect you from any of its harmful effects. Tell me when you wish to begin and receive the protection. End of report! But take care! If you leave the delving... oh my! Then is the protection... gone! disappeared... poof! BOSNICKEL: Want to go deeper into the delving? You might want you protection. URDIRIEL: Yes. BOSNICKEL: So be it. You have the protection. Don't forget, you can't leave the delving until it's Dwarf free! It's been emotional. Toodles! The stairs to the deeper parts of the delving are guarded by a lot of Dwarves armed with arbalests and barricaded behind trapped crates. Down the stairs, there even more Dwarves and traps. Eventually the party makes it to the deepest part of the delving, where the entrance to Norgamashzrom is located. A confrontation with Avarosh follows. GOLTOOTH AVAROSH: Prince Arom? You really do have a talent for turning up at the worst possible moment... And I should have got rid of you a long time ago. Drodda! I knew you were the type to stick your nose in where it's not wanted. PRINCE AROM: Garoshem Avarosh grosho Gramtax! Lower your weapon and give up Norgamashzrom forever. If not, I shall force you to do so. GOLDTOOTH AVAROSH: Give up? Hehe, you really don't know me. Finally, I have the miracle metal. Nobody can take it from me now. Now! Shoot them down, clan garoshim! During the battle, Avarosh and his guards stay conveniently clustered together while they're shooting the party, giving Jaakon ample opportunity to try out his Fireball spell.

Show me one game reviewer who plays a game all the way to the end.

That half-naked lady would fit better in Siliconera.

Only part where PB should try harder is with the female character models. Anyway, according to the Deep Silver forum both Commandant Carlos and Patty will return.

They better bring back Patty.