BGEE: Indira Lightfoot and Her Bad Band

[IndiraLightfoot]

Some intermittent remarks:

How can a game that's over 15 years old be this good? I'm stunned and stupefied - like when finding that stupefying mace!! I mean, I've played it several years back, and then far too many times, but it still feels fresh and rewarding, even the story. Having replayed PST and half of IWD2 in recent years, I must say, this game wins hands down. I admit that the battles are slightly more challenging at the start of IWD2, and a few times later in the game, but atmosphere, fantastic backgrounds, free-roaming exploration, fantastic NPC, all make up for that in spades! 

 

My own "house rules" for this playthrough is...

-If one or more party members die I have to keep on going

-No reloads to regret bad convo decisions, purchases, losses of items (for instance, at the smithy, I bought a composite longbow for 150 gp, but my character couldn't use it)

-I can only "re-roll" (reload) level-up hit points two times

-If my main dies, I get to reload the latest save (It hasn't happened yet, but it sure will!)

[IndiraLightfoot]

Day 15, hour 15, 16 Mirtul, 1368

In Indira’s words:

 

 

”We were on our way to the Nashkel mines, when we were waylaid by enemies. Senjak, a bandit leader, was intent on robbing us dry. He had a slick assistant in the form of an elf, Dorotea, who wanted to kill us in a specific order, beginning with the uncivilized and eding with the well-mannered. I ordered my party to show them what the phrase ’the tables have turned’ means. However, before we even could cheek-slap them, a half-orc began to mow those archers down like a merciless scythe of death. Luckily for us, he apparently had a bone to pick with Dorotea and Senjak. They’d left him – Dorn - to rot in a Luskan prison, on the advice of some Simmeon. Then everything went fast. Frail Tulippa went down after a few swift cuts at Senjak’s venomous blade. Furia and Anarcon took care of the two brigand archers that were left by the bluff. I, Sparkur and Poker took on Senjak and Dorotea, while Dorn back-stabbed them. It was over-pretty quick, but Tulippa needs to be resurrected at the temple of Helm in Nashkel. This has become a bad habit of hers.”

 

”After the skirmish, we sent Dorn off and backtracked to the mining town with an entire wagon full of bandit loot, with Tulippa thrown on top, like a big blueberry on a ginger pie. The curmudgeon in a priest robe charged twice as much for bringing back Tulippa. That certainly had our pouches wrung, but later on, when Tulippa had came to, she found a magical shield for Sparkur and an equally magical weird eastern scimitar, so everyone were all smiles again.”

Day 17, 18 Mirtul, 1368:

”We reached the mines just after midnight, and the first warehouse seemed like a good place to rest, so we opened the mouldy door, only to be assaulted by three rabid war dogs that already occupied the building for some tucker and a catnap. They got their rest alright, their final rest. Among the scurrying rats, a few emaciated miners were working in the wee hours. Their leader, Emerson, didn’t like having us around, and said we’d got one day, thereafter they’d dig a shaft for us and bury us alive in it. Nice welcome! The entrance to the mines were guarde by three tired Amnian soldiers, wishing us an ironic ’good luck’.”

 

”The few miners inside warned us of little devils and demons, and they were certain we’d die down there. Miner Dilak was certain we would die like the rest of several adventurers that had sought out to destroy the evils down below. Miner Marvin was coughing up blood and rambling on about haunted tunnels. Miner Bob took the cake, claiming there was a dragon down there, a story that gor Furia all worked up. We’ve begin the descent into the mines, and so far it seems to be kobolds that the miners have mistaken for ’devils’. Some of them carry weird bottles with a mysterious liquid inside.”

 

”One day and dozens of dead kobolds later, at least, we crossed a scarily deep chasm, and on the other side, more dogs with swords and archers ambushed us, and by a small subterranean pond, a hideous ghoul gnawed on a few kobold bones. In a cavern not far from that horror, a couple of huge death spiders injected poison into Sparkur. I had to toss him the only antidote we had. At death’s door, that potent mixture thankfully worked. Far from gracefully, Poker and Anarcon squashed those oversized bugs flat.”

 

”Another floor deeper, the entrance to which was protected with traps galore, inside a cramp cavern system nestled in the middle of an underwater lake, we were startled. On the cold, damp floors, exquisite fabrics, mats and pillows were strewn. A manic half-orc deity servant named Mulahey thought we’ve been sent by some traitorous Tazok, and then let through by the kobolds, but we said we’re there by our own accord. At that reply, he ’went crazier than a diseased gibberling with fire up his arse’ – those were Furia’s exact words. And indeed, he was a crazy necromancer, and he called forth skeletal minions, supported by plenty of spasmic kobolds, high on beetle juice and stupidity.”

 

”One by one, my friends fell victim to the necromancer’s vile little army in this terrible ordeal. In the end, merely Sparkur and I were left standing. In a moment of weakness, I let the madman go. Bad mistake."

 

 

" He just snuck away, began to quibble with another person present there, and then turned on ous again, with even more kobolds on his side, this time. I honestly thought Sparkur and I would draw our last breaths in that bizarre grotto, but then I remembered my new-won draining power, and I used on the necromancer to a deadly effect.”

 

 

”Inside Mulahey’s chest there was an elven dagger that refused to be held. All I heard was a name whispered: Xan. In addition to that and a note mentioning a contact at Feldepost’s Inn (Tranzig), the ornate container revealed several potions and scrolls. In a stalagmite-infested cavern at the back, I met the person Mulahey talked to earlier: Xan himself. He thanked me for my rescue, I made an ill-timed joke about piercers, and then he left, taking back his dagger in silence. I dared not stop him. Strangely, the same dagger re-appeared in Mulahey’s chest, but I left it there for now.”

 

 

”Sparkur and I dragged ourselves and our dead band members all the way back up the mine levels, greeted by a much merrier Emerson, and then we managed to return to Nashkel without running into more bandits. Glad we had that wagon, otherwise we wouldn’t been able to haul back the bodies of our friends to the temple. Oublek wasn’t happy, though. I had bounties to turn in, but was denied payment because of my scam last time. If I hadn’t saved the town, he’d thrown me into prison, no doubt.”

 

”I was relieved to see that all four of our band were revivable. And with Tulippa back, she could go through all the magical items that the necromancer had. His ring was very interesting: It made him get more clerical spells per day, and Sparkur got test it, and it works for him as well! For all her efforts, knowledge and lore revelations, we gave Tulippa a pair of boots of grounding."

 

"Unfortunately, she didn’t take much more than 100 steps in her new shoes before a very able assassin named Nimbul attacked us on the fly. Apparently, Tazok had sent him to hunt us down. Yet again, like a bad deja-vu, only Sparkur and I survived the onslaught of spells. We tried to flee into Nashel Inn, but Nimbul followed us there. So, I had to use my last resort, a potion of invisibility, while Sparkur crushed our near-to-be nemesis with his punishing mace of stunning. It was very hairy, so back to the temple we go. Lovely.”

 

Day21, 22 Mirtul, 1368:

”After almost a day’s rest, and after hours upon hours listening to Poker lamenting his lost axe in the mines, I still recall my last sleep with unease. I dreamt that I was back in the mine tunnels, slaughtering kobolds, standing over Mulahey again, with a strange bone dagger as company. It soon turned into a skeletal hand, and a disembodied voice said that I should use my powers, and that my heart is not my weak spot. Interestingly, I did use my power to end Mulahey’s life, and after I did so, I have now the ability to use it even more. This dream had me forcing my party going down the mines one more time, not just to fetch Xan's dagger and all the bulky items Sparky and I hid in Mulahey’s ornate chest, but in order to check if something weird awaited me down there. Sadly, it didn’t result in anything more than a spike trap that pierced Furia’s pinky-toe and an encounter with two grey oozes that were immune to even Sparkur’s bolt of lightning. I nearly died from their loving embraces.”

[IndiraLightfoot]

Just a simple fact that may be hard to sink in for any younger CRPG lovers out there:

Furia was the last member of my party reaching level 2, and that after 26 hours of real-time playing. What kind of game would dare do something like that nowadays?

[Gorth]

Some intermittent remarks:

How can a game that's over 15 years old be this good?

I don't think it's an exact science

 

Personal theory, it's like a rock band or a sports team that for a short while get together and create something where the total is greater than the sum of its parts. Nobody can really explain while it is so and attempts at recreating it always ends up at attempts at recreating it. Maybe it's just the right People in the right place at the right time doing the right things.

 

Just a simple fact that may be hard to sink in for any younger CRPG lovers out there:

Furia was the last member of my party reaching level 2, and that after 26 hours of real-time playing. What kind of game would dare do something like that nowadays?

I think you just answered your own question. There are probably some less known games out there that does, but none spring to mind immediately.

[IndiraLightfoot]

In Sparkur’s words:

”Around the Nashkel mines, after we returned the worthless dagger to the half-starved Kylee in the mine, we have found tough, but precious winterwolves. Their pelts are worth a fortune in Nashkel. Unfortunately, there were even bigger beasts around in those craggy and kobold-plagued forests. An enormous cave bear immediately picked us out as a potential multi-course meal, and we rushed to get up our best missiles and launch them at the beast. And yay, all of them hit, with Indira’s magical arrow sinking into its withers, and my mighty bolt of lightning frying its behind!”

 

 

 

 

”At a cliff ledge, we found a fancy fellow named Prism. He had stolen some emeralds that shall be the eyes of his love Ellesime, or rather his huge relief of her face jutting out from the cliffside. Unfortunately, a bounty hunter is after him, and it happens to be Greywolf, the one we pretended to be, just to get free gold coins."

 

"We agreed to defend Prism from this bounty hunter, and sure enough, the burly thug turned up, and he knew who we were too. Greywolf was just as hard-hitting as the rumours about his cruelty preceding him, but thanks to our brave dwarven frontline, a great number of magic darts and arrows killed him in the end. Anarcon, however, needed every drop in his healing potion to survive the onslaught. When Prism finished his lithic masterpiece, he vanished into thin air and did perhaps join his beloved. Tulippa immediately recognized Greywolf’s blade as a Verscona, a very powerful blade, vengeful and blood-hungry in the hands of any rogue, bounty hunter and swash buckler. Indira could use a sword like this, I’d imagine."

 

Day 25, 26 Mirtul, 1368:

”The storekeep in Nashkel loved our winterwolf pelts, but he’s no darts left, so we had to journey all the way back to Beregost to stock up on them. On our way there, we found a little boy picking fruits for his mother by the road. We scared him off, just to teach him a lesson. Another kid, this time a girl named Chloe, said that a sturdy woman, an officer Vai, at the Jovial Juggler is looking for Indira, and she said we’re famous around here for saving them mines. Outside the smithy, Elminister, one of them bookworms, disturbed our mood. We all detested the old man, the very same man that insisted on us going to Friendly Arms Inn (which was wise advice, though), as soon as he opened his cracked lips and let his learned ways seep out in the air like smoke from a funeral pyre. Indira said that he knows nothing of our burdens. He warned us of bandits to the north-east and left, tail between his crooked legs.”

[Gorth]

I've only completed the game thrice or so, but I always got mauled badly by Greywolf

 

In the end, I decided some emeralds are just too hard earned

[Chilloutman]

I've only completed the game thrice or so, but I always got mauled badly by Greywolf

 

In the end, I decided some emeralds are just too hard earned

 

I once soloed him with druid character, happen to entagle him and spam call lighting

[IndiraLightfoot]

Gorth: I had almost forgotten about him. I did remember Prism, though - a sweet little NPC with a cute story.

I have spent most of my money I've got on magical missiles for my ranged weapons and on plate armours for the dwarves in me party, plus a magical shield for Sparkur at that. Still, here, I got lucky, since, as you can see, Anarcon, merely had a splint mail on, so when you have low-levels like this, as low AC as possible on a few characters and at least a handful healing potions on a few of them are life-saving investments.

Edited September 17, 2014 by IndiraLightfoot

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Just a simple fact that may be hard to sink in for any younger CRPG lovers out there:

Furia was the last member of my party reaching level 2, and that after 26 hours of real-time playing. What kind of game would dare do something like that nowadays?

BG didn't really do that either. If you start off without a full party, you should hit level 2 before the mining town.

[IndiraLightfoot]

KP: Absolutely true! And I have also paused the game a large number of times to make this playthrough of mine documented, and I have really stopped everywhere, read everything, listened to all the NPCs, etc, so I'd guess even with a full party, I'd would have gotten there by half that time.