Toggle Background Color
Psion posted:
Anyway about BAK, Snugglecakes I want to say I really appreciate how you're doing this thread, I think the game owns and you're doing a really nice job playing it. Now update more! 
Ask and thou shall receive!
Update 12: It really is lovely this time of year down at Hawk's Hollow
Last time we finished up talking to Issac, a scoundrel and fellow exile who Locklear knew from his days back at Prince Arthua's court. We performed some road-side weapon repair for him in exchange for a near worthless ruby that a Tsurani Great One Magician has been bugging the garrison of LaMut about since it was stolen by Grey Warriors.
Issac's also told us a little bit about Hawk's Hollow, apparently somebody named SmokeFingers has taken up residence there. Naturally our gang will want to investigate this.
We actually aren't too far away from Hawk's Hollow now, but we can poke around this area a little bit before we head into the village proper.
First thing's first though - we backtrack slightly because I missed a wordlock chest just outside of where Orno the Plague spreader lives. The chest itself doesn't have great loot (your standard broadsword, armor, royals and a whetstone) but I want to show off as many riddles as I can.
"You will invite him into your house, Yet you know him not. Once you get to know him, This thing he will no longer be."
C O S A E F I E
S R I S P A L T
P T E T N E E D
A H R D R G S R
After a stopover in Loriel to unload some junk, we hop on back down towards near where we met with Issac. We cut across the road to a house just to the south-east on the side path.
Following our "Knock at every door" policy, we approach. Who knows, perhaps it's another side-quest?
Turns out it's an ambush instead! This is actually a pretty good reminder from the game to quicksave your game often. If you come here, say, after a battle that you hadn't healed up after, then this might be a tricky fight.
At least it's just one guy.
I guess "a moredhel warrior" can actually be three moredhel warriors?
Hey Locklear, do another head count.
"ONE! ... TWO! ... FIVE!"
"Three sir!"
"Three!"
"Wait... Who said that?"
No matter - the combat is over quick enough. None of them (or almost any enemies in this update) have anything on their bodies particularly worth notice. They are just good melee practice.
"They are also great target practice for fireballs too!"
"Very disappointing."
Having finished up at Casa Ambush, we push further south down the side path, and...
Oopsie doodle! 
Seems I forgot there were enemies on the road ahead, as I was traveling using the map feature. While that feature is useful once you've cleared out an area, it can be hazardous to do so when you haven't, as you might end up walking straight into a group of enemies that you'd normally see well ahead of time if you were on the main view mode.
Unfortunately for these chumps, they are just about as much as a challenge as their friends up at Ambush House. They also don't have anything interesting on their corpses either.
We are just east of Hawk's Hollow now. There is a small house in the corner here.
Perhaps a shop?
OH GOD IT IS NOT A SHOP!
"It's a charnel house. When the graveyards fill up, they have to make way for new bodies, so they bring the old bones here. Let's go inside and have a look around."
"I've got a better idea. How about I stay out here and you go inside and have a look around..."
Oh Owyn, you scamp! 
Eh - what'd you expect? It's a house full of skeletons. I swap out my old one for this one and go on my way.
Just outside of Hawk's Hollow now. There is another wordlock puzzle.
"Axes and swords, Will not help you through. Yet it and a little push will do. Some in the road would have fought and soon died, Were it not close at hand, to let them inside."
T O B
H R T
E E Y
K U A
Inside is 40 gold sovereigns (not a bad haul) along with a spynote, which we read.
Hmm.. an agreed upon hand tattoo? We'll have to ponder this some more.
Scenic Hawk's Hollow. It really is lovely this time of year.
"What time of year is it anyway?"
"Hell if I know. It always looks like this."
"Yes! An inn! Time to get my drink on!"
The lady on the far right is the barmaid. The fellow in the middle is the innkeeper. The others are unimportant, but Locklear is going to go talk to the lady anyway.
What can I say? Ladies love the 'stache." 
"Pass the time with a little conversation."
"Why" she said curtly.
Opening his mouth to reply but suddenly finding himself bereft of adequate speech, he made a small sound which he was certain sounded quite unmanly. Stabbing him with her exquisitely beautiful stare, she smiled. "I thought as much. Goodbye, sir. I am sure you have a brilliant oratory career before you."
"Dude. Give it up."
"I need a drink."
"Barkeep! Ale me!"
"Oh c'mon. I'm hardly even buzzed. Give me about twelve more!"
"It's... I.. YOU! With the face. Comehereyou! Oh Gods, I'm going to be sick!"
"OWYN! You. I love you, man. You. Go, play that silly luteer. You know the song, about the old country! That's the one... (hic) Krondor will never be free... until I can marry... my brotherrrr!"
So. That didn't go well.
Here's our status: Locklear is dead drunk and would be near worthless in a fight, while Owyn still can't carry a tune and got us thrown out. Gorath, well, he's facepalming himself right now.
Let's rest up a bit to until Locklear no longer sees double, and continue our exploration of Hawk's Hollow.
We get a free boost to everybody's lockpicking skill from that event. We also get a hint of how Locklear can actually be quite a badass.
We move on to the next house in town.
This one is a little interesting just for the way in which they framed the dialogue.
"Why should we want you to leave?"
"I refuse, you hear me, I REFUSE! Now go away!"
"That was weird."
"You've been repelling women left and right lately."
A barn! These are interesting buildings because either they'll be completely useless, or they might serve some plot points depending upon what chapter you are in, and what barn you are talking about. Almost always worth checking these out.
Oh fine. It's an abandoned tavern.
It just gives us some free rations. One set is still fresh (somehow) the other is spoiled and we leave that behind.
Finally, there is the house at the end of the street.
Interesting. We can be trusted because we don't bear the sign on our hands, yet the wordlock chest mentions a hand tattoo. Something goofy is going on.Unfortunately, I can't get any more information out of this guy.
We end our tour of Hawk's Hollow by going to the one open shop in town.
"Hey, maybe we can get a good price for this ruby?"
"Listen buddy, this was stolen from a Tsurani magician. No, not by us! Look, it's worth much more then a measly four sovereigns! Ah forget it. We might as well return the stupid thing given how much trouble we put into finding it."
Some hints from the game here as to what these particular items do. The Amulet of the Upright Man raises the Lockpick skill, while the Ring of the Golden Way raises Scouting. Overall, much better to have an Amulet on whoever your dedicated lockpicker then the Ring.
Having finished up in the village, I remembered that the scribe wanted us to find a treasure box nearby Hawk's Hollow. We push on to the west looking for it.
Our hint that this is the box the scribe is looking for comes in the encounter with these rogues (instead of the non-stop moredhel encounters). These guys are pushovers though.
Seems our friend Lucan had some dealing with the moredhel. Too bad we can't call him out on this. However, we can steal whatever is inside the box!
"Gods, why me?"
Fortunately, the trap wasn't strong enough to insta-kill Owyn!
And the loot. Isn't too bad.
Too bad the quality is so low.
Redweed brew, or "Tith's Piss" (a nickname that I love) is a straight out stat enhance for melee attacks. Perfect for boosting your stats before a difficult battle, or if you have somebody who who really sucks at combat.
This is where we'll end things for this update. Tomorrow we push on to Zun and back up to LaMut to finish up the ruby sidequest, and then run to to the scribe to yell at him for sending us to a trapped chest in Hawk's Hollow.
Miketopus posted:
SnuggleCakes, could you post the item description for day's rations in a coming update? It always makes me crack up when I imagine it, especially when it's Gorath as the subject.
"The fruit... it's so *swollen* with juice! OH GOD THE APPLES! WET WITH MORNING DEW!" 