Sorry Zudak. I was just as upset as you are, if not moreso. :(
Nonetheless, the show must go on.
Part 7: We Can Rebuild the Group.
Three months or so later, Nyperold sat in the rebuilt Gilgamesh’s Tavern, sipping his vodka and soda. He was still trying to come to grips with what had happened, and its implications.
Nyperold: “Man…Emptyeye….mahel042….Zudak…all gone. I’m really never going to see them again, am I? And that means…oh no! How can I possibly kill more things now!? I hate my life…”
Just then, a group of adventurers walked into the Tavern. They were all naked.
Nyperold: “Wait a minute…”
Picking himself up off his bar stool, Nyperold staggered over to the group.
Nyperold: “You know, I’m not sure why it is…but it seems like a lot of adventurers who come here start off naked for some reason.”
The ostensible leader of the group stepped forward.
???: “Really? How odd. We just kind of like hanging out in the nude.”
Nyperold: “Well, I won’t judge you…but that’s gonna get you killed pretty quick if you leave town at all. Come with me to Boltac’s Trading Post and let’s see what we can do about that.”
The group conferred, and decided that it seemed like a good idea.
Nyperold: “So uh, what’re your names? Also, how much gold do you all have on you.”
???: “Well, I’m Kareshi, and I have…maybe 110 Gold.”
???: “And I’m Toblerone, but you can just leave off the last E if you want. I have slightly over 100 Gold.”
The rest of the group introduced themselves. There was Spookmeister C, or Spooky C, who was a Cleric. Optimus Funk, or Optimus F, was the Thief of the group, and Nario rounded out the new party, being the Mage of the crew. All of them had between 100 and 200 Gold to their names.
(LIVEBLOG NOTE: There’s an 8-character limit in Wizardry character names, hence the abbreviations and whatnot. Also, for the curious, the non-Toblerone character names are usernames from another forum I frequent.)
Nyperold: “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna combine all our Gold, and from there, here’s what you’re all gonna buy. Kareshi and Tobleron, you guys buy Long Swords, Breast Plates and Large Shields, plus Helms. Spooky C, you want an Anointed Flail, Breast Plate and Large Shield. Optimus Funk, for you it’s a Small Shield, Short Sword, and some Padded Leather. And Nario, you get…um, a Staff and some Robes.”
The group thanked Nyperold for his generosity.
Nyperold: “Yeah, don’t mention it…I think my old crew would’ve wanted it that way.”
Kareshi: “Your…old crew?”
Nyperold: “Yeah, where do you think I got all this money from? They were a band not unlike you guys
Nario: “So…what actually happened to them?”
Nyperold: “Officially? They died in a huge hurricane a few months ago. But unofficially…I like to think they’re still alive somewhere. The thing is, their bodies were never found. Nor were any of their possessions. The hurricane went through, and they were just…gone.”
Spooky C: “Wow..I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully we find them in our travels.”
Nyperold: “Yeah….in the meantime, though, looks like you all could use my help. I’ve been in and out of the Proving Grounds a few times, so I could show you guys the ropes, so to speak. And maybe, help you accomplish the primary goal of any adventurer!”
Nario: “Recovering the Mad Overlord’s Amulet and saving Llylgamyn?”
Nyperold: “No, silly, killing things! Now follow me and I’ll show you how it’s done!”
The group was a little unnerved at Nyperold’s bloodlust, but looking him over, realized he was clearly telling the truth about his dungeon experience. Deciding that a seasoned adventurer, whatever his quirks, would be an invaluable asset, Kareshi and Company followed him into the Proving Grounds for their first adventure…
Next time: Floor 1, Take 2!
Sweet Bonus Commentary!
- Typo Alerts!: “So…what actually happened to them?” originally ended with a period. Additionally, I repeated the error I made in an earlier entry, misspelling “anointed” as “annointed”.
- The initial line was me responding to the Troper Zudak, who said basically, “Nooooo my character! :(“
- Similarly to Chapter 1, this chapter serves mainly to introduce our new set of characters, after I lost most of the old ones. The names come from The Shizz posters, except Toblerlon(e), who is something of a patron saint of big bruiser types on TV Tropes. Characterization-wise, we get a glimpse of Nario being the Wide-Eyed Idealist, what with his focus on actually accomplishing the goal of the game, but besides that, there’s not a lot there just yet. It will come, though.
-EE
Loading tweets...