ladyabaxa ◾ ◾ Beyond the Beyond: Update 13: Wherein There Is This Thing Called Gravity (Borderlands, pt. 2)

Beyond the Beyond: Update 13: Wherein There Is This Thing Called Gravity (Borderlands, pt. 2)

When last we left the team was about to scramble up a precarious rope of twisted vines into another huge tree.

Hey! Stop shoving!
Watch where you're putting that elbow, Finn!
Well tell whoever made this rope bridge to install something more stable next time. This is harder to climb then it looks.
Less complaining, more concentrating on climbing then, Finn. The vine is swinging enough as it is.
Yeah, yeah, keep your mail on. Just one more... almost there. SHIT!
FINN!
Umph! Ouch!
I've got you your highness!
Oops, sorry. One of the vines broke. Is everyone ok down there?
You kicked me in the arm, Finn.
I said I was sorry. Edward? Samson?
We're fine.
Sir Samson caught me. I think... I think I dropped something though. What? Oh no!
Your highness I don't mean to be rude but can you wait until we're on stable ground before freaking out about whatever you've just lost.
Uh, yeah, of course.

Solid ground! Well, mostly solid ground at least.
You said you dropped something, Prince Edward. Was it something important?
...It's all right. It was nothing vital.
Pryraaa! Look at all the webs in here. This tree must be infested by giant spiders.
I don't like spiders.
At least they're not bats.
That's true.
Your highness we can stop to look for whatever it is you've lost when we get to the bottom of this tree.
You never know, Finn. They could be spider-bats!
No. We must keep going.
GAAAAHH! Why would you even suggest such an abomination, Steiner?
Really, it would be no trouble.
When we get to the bottom I will look around but this forest is far too dangerous to stop for long.
Because I know it would freak you out, Finn. That's why.
Some days Steiner you are just evil.
*giggles*

Why are these pits so dark and who or what made them?
Maybe the same things that made the webs?
There are no stairs. It seems like we have to use one of these if we want to go down.
But, it's so dark. Steiner can you see anything?
Nope, not from here and this whole tree smells like musty old paint and cobwebs.
I guess we'll just have to trust that it's safe. We ddin't bring a rope or anything though.
Never fear! I'll hop down and see what it's like!
Finn, wait!

Wheeee!
Finn what the hell were you thinking?! That was reckless!
Yeah, I know but we're not going to get anywhere if we just stand around staring at holes in the floor. Besides all that happened was I hit a web below and sprang back up. Big deal.
You have to think before you act, Finn. What would you have done if you had gotten hurt from the fall? I can't heal someone I can't see.
I know what I'm doing.
So someone or something made all these pits but the tree is littered with webs that make it impossible to fall down? I thought the first tree was confusing.
Nothing in here is by accident it seems.
But who would go to all that trouble?
I don't know but we're not alone in here. Look, goblins!

Only two? Bah! This is hardly a distraction!

How are we supposed to know which pit goes where without trying them all?
Krr, I'll fly down and have a look if you like.
Yes, please. That would be better then potentially breaking our legs or landing on top of more goblins.
Okay.

This hole seems to be safe.

More holes. I guess I should have expected that. Steiner?
Already way ahead of you, Finn.

This one is safe.

It's safe to jump down this pit too.
Hmm, that seems too easy.
Yes, we should look around just to be sure.

Finn, there's something shiny on the floor below and I think this pit is clear of any webs.
Shiny you say? Shiny might mean treasure.
I don't know why but the way you said that seems so... off.
Treasure is well worth sounding weird.

Ouch! These landings aren't easy are they?
There's a chest here.
Hmm, there's more of that vaguely magical liquid in a bottle inside.
How can you be so sure it's magical, Edward? You can't smell magic, can you?
No, no I can't. I know the same way you can be sure a blade is a good weapon - experience. That and I can feel magic softly radiating through the bottle.
You can... feel magic? Huh, you learn something new every day.
Krr, there's only one pit we can reach but it seems safe to drop.

I'm getting real tired of all this falling!

Then you'll be happy to know the next floor is the bottom.
Hurray!

OW! OW! OW!
See what I mean about hurting yourself, Finn? Let me take a look.
Sir Samson and I will be waiting outside when you three are done in here.

Any sign of whatever it was you lost your highness?
No, none. I fear it might have fallen off the cliff entirely.
What was it, if you don't mind my asking.
It was my pendant. I had it in my pocket but between Annie knocking me loose and all the swaying it must have fallen out.
The same pendant you lent Finn's group?
The same. As I said, though, it's not vital that we find it.
You're obviously still worried about it, though.
Well, it was...
What?
It's nothing. Don't worry about it Sir Samson. The pendant is gone and we can't afford to waste time looking for it.
If you're sure, Prince Edward.
I am.
Very well. Miss Annie, how is Finn doing?
I think he'll be fine with some rest. He's just getting tired from all the recent excitement.

Beyond the forest is (shock, shock) a cave that must be traversed. The party, weary from a long day of forest hiking, tree climbing, and tree falling rests for the night in the grasslands beyond.

Dear journal, soon it will be day 5 since we left the kingdom. Today I had another setback but I'm getting used to that and to things I've known for years vanishing before my eyes.

After we crossed the enchanted forest we found ourselves facing the eastern half of the mountains that divide Marion and Zalagoon. It wasn't long, however, before we found an old cavern. Sir Samson wasn't sure if it was the right way to go but rather then spend another night on the forest's edge we pressed on. The cavern was narrow and its walls were covered in a foul smelling green fungus. Soon we came to something else I'm becoming accustomed to - deciding which path of a juncture to take.

My memory becomes hazy around that point. I'm not sure why but it must be related to that terrible headache I've had all day.

The row modifier is working in Edward's favor here. Five damage is the high end of what a goblin would deal to any of the front trio in a regular attack so halving the damage on a critical for the squishy wizard helps tremendously. Otherwise that would be two thirds (or more) of Edward's VP in one swing.

I vaguely recall a feeling of dizziness and the impression that the world was starting to spin out of control. I think Finn cursed about something but I'm not sure what it was. I must confess, however, that the fungus seemed to be humming and dare I say flowing across the walls.

The sight of a staircase was a welcome relief. Even if they were made by goblins or kobolds that meant the cave had to lead to somewhere intelligent creatures wanted to go.

You won't fool me twice, cave! I know we have to go right!
Finn who are you talking to?
The cave of course.
The cave is talking to you?
What? When did I say that?
Just forget I said anything. _{Anything at all.}

The Counter Orb does the same thing as the Counter Jewel except it targets the entire party. Jewels = single target, Orbs = multi-target.

See? I was right. We did have to go right!
But Finn this is a dead end. That means the path through the cave was left at that intersection.
Krrr! Leave it to Finn to take us to a dead end.
Well, sure, it ends but there's treasure here! There's a weird looking orb in this chest.
That's lovely. Can we go now?
Aww, Samson, you're no fun.
*glares*
Uh, I mean, you're no fun, Sir Samson.
That's better. Annie, keep him on a tighter leash from now on.
What did you say, Sir Samson? Something about a leash?
Nevermind.

With another treasure in hand we backtracked and took the only path that could lead forward. Soon we encountered another kobold but this one had ashen grey fur. It watched us warily as we approached but hissing and snarling signaled that we wouldn't pass without a fight.

Annie and Finn lashed out with frightening speed but the ashen kobold remained calm and used the same sort of herbs humans use to wipe away the damage they inflicted. After several more minutes of fighting, however, it too fell.

Sometimes I doubt my own eyes and that is especially true when my memory is clouded but I could have sworn we ran across a huge blueish green rabbit shortly after the kobold.

Beyond the Beyond does more then just palette swap enemies. It will also scale sprites up and down. A monster with a bigger sprite is generally more powerful then one using the same sprite but scaled to a smaller size. This is important to remember because later the game pulls the stunt of having enemies with identical names, sprites, and palettes and forcing the player to remember which ones are more powerful based solely on how large the sprites are relative to one another. Oh and they are pretty dangerous for that point in the game and come in mixed groups for extra confusion! Thanks, Camelot.

Eventually we found that Annie was right and the passage we had passed by to follow Finn's intuition ended in a staircase heading down.

So we descended deeper into the earth.

Shortly thereafter sunlight and the smell of a fresh, fungus-free breeze signaled an end to the cavern.

Sweet, merciful sunlight! Oh how I missed you!
So where is Zalagoon castle from here?
Um, you know I'm not really all that sure.
It's northeast of here, not far from the coast. We should head north until we can see the sea then turn east.
You seem to know the lay of the land here quite well Sir Samson. Have you visited Zalagoon before?
You could say that. Zalagoon's not that far so we should get there in a couple days travel.

After the aforementioned couple days of hiking...

Well I can see water off in the distance. That must mean we're getting near the sea. Now we head east?
Wait! I think I hear something.
*sniff, sniff* I smell something dank a little ways to our south. Take cover. I'll see what it is.

Several minutes pass in silence before Steiner returns.

There's a cloaked human who seems to be following some monsters.
A soldier, maybe?
I doubt it. Zalagoon isn't as developed as Marion is. If there were regular patrols we would have run into at least one by now.
So, what are you saying Sir Samson?
Cloaked figures are always up to no good. That's what I'm saying.
Well you should say it quieter humans because here they come.
We can take them by surprise.
You want to fight them, Sir Samson?
Like I said, cloaked figures are always up to no good and I'd rather find out right now what that person is up to then risk being followed and attacked later.
I don't know about this.
I'm still your bodyguard your highness and as such I take any potential threat seriously.

They're... brightly colored flying frogs?
Come on, let's go!

You frogs won't hurt us! Hyah!

Taking the enemy by surprise Annie opens by casting Holy Light level 1 to soften up the poisonous frogs. Healer types don't get much in the way of damage-dealing magic but they're the first to get a spell that can hit whole groups. Combined with Finn's attack and Edward's fire magic one frog is killed in the surprise round and the other dies at the beginning of the next round before getting to act.