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Part XXXV- Goondalf the G(igantic)
Music
So, three epic quests await our attention, as the time of destiny draws near! Investigating a skeleton infestation, finding a cure for Elazar's coma, and seeing what the local sages are up to. Obviously we could pick one and stick with it to completion, but this is a bad idea because a) one of them catapults us straight into the endgame, and b) it's much more fun gradually working our meandering way farther into the fortress, talking to everyone along the way and seeing what shakes out.
Olon has one of the things we need for Elazar. Technically this takes us farther out from the middle of the fortress, but details.
I'm glad if I can bring you luck, Olon. Your mask certainly kept me alive in the Sha'ahoul camp.
I never would have used it, likely. It didn't provide nearly enough security for my precious skin. Anyway, what can I do for you today?
I'm looking for an exotic ingredient for a special tonic to treat Elazar's strange illness -- Grimstone Root, to be precise.
Grimstone Root? I would have never thought Elarath... never mind, never mind -- just let me check. [He rummages around for a moment, then returns with a tiny packet.] Here you go, Goondalf the G, no charge. Be careful with that, or you'll end up surrounded by women wherever you go. [He winks.] Actually, I never believed you could make love potions with it. My customers do, though, so I always have some. I hope it helps you.
It will save a life, Olon. May the good spirits reward your generosity. Farewell.
I like how we never explain what it's actually for.
How did you use the rest of the Fine Steel I brought you?
Gotta make sure to use capitalized speech.
Freeman: Officer's swords and armor, mostly. I think Tempest is working on something at the moment.
Thank you, Freeman. Perhaps I shall check with him.
There, now we can skip over the Outer Keep straight to the Inner Bailey.
Hey buddy, thanks again for these sweet wizard robes.
Good day, Khaele. Have you and Pell...
Khaele: Yes, we have spoken. My scrying has suggested to me that it would be better for all, at least for the time being, if she stays here. I told her as much. She didn't seem concerned about my decision, but I could sense her relief, even though it was concealed. There was something else, something I haven't seen in years, but cannot place. [He shrugs.] It does not matter. She and I have come to an agreement. I will eventually bring that agreement to the Council, and they will either relieve me of my position or praise my initiative.
You don't seem very concerned about the possibility of having your title stripped.
Khaele: I am not. I will find some other application of my talents, and the energy to apply them, if the weight of the responsibility of my position is removed.
Then you shall do well, Magistrate. Farewell.
Khaele: Fare thee well, Goondalf the G. Never doubt that you will attain greatness.
Thank you.
Fuckin wizards, man. Maybe Goondalf getting inducted into their weirdo society was a mistake... Nah, it'll be fine. Time to a drink!
Indeed, Captain. Surely our spirit will lead us to victory.
Although a pint of ale would be refreshing, I must decline. Perhaps you might have a scrap of gossip, instead?
Damnit Goondalf, live a little!
Adaela: Well then, you've come to the right place. Fresh rumors abound lately... You know the bard, Tristan? He has been most busy working on some sort of epic. It has the makings of a truly grand legend. I can't wait until he has finished! The children have grown weary of the same old stories, and I'm sure a new one would do QUITE well in putting them to bed. [She smiles.]
HELL YEAH. Rest assured, we will be talking to Tristan very soon.
What have Gentza and Orvyn been doing lately?
Adaela: Gentza has been going on and on about some new drink he is working on. He appears very excited about it. I wonder what exactly he is up to. Maybe he feels he can make a drink strong enough to wash away the fear of falling to the Sha'ahoul hordes.
And Orvyn?
Fear not, Adaela, I doubt such things will come to pass. Visions are like dreams, the images usually represent an event or conditions that have or will happen. I wonder what it means, though?
Adaela: With that, you have me at a loss, m'lord. Perhaps if you had a question about removing inebriated individuals or ale-stains, I could help you.
Have you heard anything else outside the bailey, perhaps?
Adaela: Only a couple things... The sages in the Inner Bailey have been very busy lately. It seems that a few of them have been concerned especially with new texts brought by a couple of Fornaxan wizards who arrived here not long ago, I heard Olon is from Oriam, and that the coward is probably looking for a way to sneak out of the castle. Maybe he won't be so lucky and instead end up as the main banquet at a Sha'ahoul war-dog picnic. Perhaps that is why Davet has still not closed the hole in the basement... That is all I know for now, m'lord.
[chuckling] My thanks, Adaela. Your sarcastic tongue does me good, but I think Davet's failure to patch the hole in the basement is a result of his lack of brains to handle the matter.
Adaela: Well said, Goondalf the G! [She giggles.]
If you will excuse me, my lady...
Anything new going on around here? You seem awfully busy.
Gentza: Quite right, hero! My friend, the sage Opias, recently came into contact with some old Fornaxan documents, and one of them holds the secret ingredients for an especially powerful drink! I've been frantically looking for and trying to get a hold of the last ingredients, but you know how hard it is to get your hands on anything in the midst of a siege.
This is actually one of the things the Inner Keep sages are doing... forgotten Fornaxan alcohol. This game is insane.
Fair enough. Tell me what you're looking for, Gentza, and maybe I can help you acquire the items you are searching for.
Gentza: No no, noble hero. You have far more important things to do than search for a few petty ingredients for an old man.
Well, from the rumors I've heard, the drink you're working on has a little more potency than what the average bartender would serve.
Gentza: Ya got that right, lad! It borders on the magical, actually! I've heard rumors that it can restore youth and vitality to the old! It is a very potent drink, indeed.
Tell me Gentza, what ingredients do you still require?
More herbs huh... Would it be better or worse if we mixed them up with the ones we need for Elazar, I wonder?
Ah yes, the lady Jora just outside near the pavilion. I'll ask her. Tell me Gentza, do you know where I might look to find this Thunder Root?
Gentza: I'm not sure exactly where to find that one. Perhaps you have an idea?
Hmm, I've heard that some Fornaxans arrived in Avalon not too long ago, and brought with them some items. According to the talk going around, the sages have been bouncing off the walls from the Fornaxans' arrival. I should go check with the merchants and find out if any of them have recently come in to anything new.
Gentza: A sound plan, far better than anything I could come up with. Only a true hero could come up with such intellectual ideas!
But, of course! I'm off, Gentza. Wish me luck.
A fair? Are you mad?
Davin: Yes, sir. Brother Kay told me to eat some strange root, but I'd rather be mad than eat roots.
Get back to the infirmary and eat your roots, boy!
Davin: I won't eat roots! I won't!
Suit yourself, then.
Yes, this actually happens. Moving on to the slightly less ridiculous noble hanging around here...
Do you speak with the gardeners often, my lady Jora?
Jora: Unfortunately... yes. Now I've had to listen to their grumbling about maintaining our beautiful flowerbeds. You should hear the things they say about people in the citadel.
Oh, for example?
Jora: Awful things, I tell you. I have nightmares about some of the things they tell me about people here.
Please, my lady, share with me.
Jora: Why, they say that there are nobles here who treat the castle grounds no better than the peasants do!
What do you mean?
Gasp!
Surely you jest! The horror! How can any one, especially a NOBLE, commit such atrocities?
Jora: Exactly, noble Goondalf the G. I just don't understand it.
Well, on to other matters. I am searching for a rare herb, Jora. Is there any chance one of the gardeners came to you with such a thing?
Jora: Eddy Hands, one of our gardeners here, came to me with something he encountered while trimming the hedges that he wasn't quite sure of. He first believed it to be a hostile plant of sorts, or maybe even a weed, and after pulling it out of the ground, he brought it to me in curiosity. Now, I am well educated in herbology, but the identity of this one eluded me. I was forced to resort to my books. I knew it wasn't something common, so I checked my rare plants and herbs book, and sure enough, there it was.
What did you find out?
By any chance my lady, do you still have the specimen? If so, may I acquire some?
Jora: Yes, Goondalf the G, I still have it, and I would be happy to give it to you. I have no need for it now. What do you wish to use it for?
I'm helping Gentza collect ingredients for a special drink he's brewing.
Jora: Well, I hope he brews something good! I could use a good, stiff drink to wash away the boredom around here. Take the herb with my blessing, Goondalf the G. Farewell to you!
My thanks, lady Jora, and farewell to you as well.
That was easy. I just hope the gardeners aren't still seeking revenge even after crashing my computer last time I walked on the flower beds. 
Nice collection of weeds we're working on. 
We'll get there, but those two are all the way on the second floor of the Inner Keep! We've got many others to get through first.
Have you heard anything about the new Fornaxan mages that arrived in Avalon recently?
Merchant George: More than you could imagine!
Oh? Please tell me what you've heard.
Merchant George: I've heard one of them is extremely busy in the Inner Keep researching some advanced magical techniques. Also, that he has been working closely with one or two of the Inner Keep sages as well. I'm sure Marcus knows more about such matters. You should try asking him about it.
Was there anything more specific you've learned or overheard?
Merchant George: Why, yes, Goondalf the G. In fact, the name of the mage --or sage, the title seems to change depending on who you ask, but I'll stick with mage because he seemed quite powerful -- is Anthamas Shadomar. Apparently he and the sage Opias grew up together.
Ow, the edge!
I see. Did you get a chance to talk with him at all>
What did this servant want?
Merchant George: A lot of expensive cloth, mainly silk. I had been keeping up a secret stock on the side for the celebration of when we finally defeat the Sha'ahoul, but he somehow managed to know all about it. I wonder how he knew, but no matter.
Did the servant say what he was working on?
Merchant George: Well, not at first, but I haggled some information out of him, about as relentlessly as you are doing to me. [He smiles.] I'm only joking with you, Goondalf the G. I'm ten times the haggler you are, that's why I do this for a living!
Ha! I doubt you've stockpiled a hoard of crowns nearly as big as my own, but please continue with your tale.
Merchant George: Aye! Well, it seems he's researching a way to combine fire magic into a protective garment. I surmise that the mages predict flames in Avalon's future. A tad dreary sight, if you ask me. He purchased all my saved up bolts of silk and thread. I made a handsome deal off the trade! Hopefully, if we win this war, I might have enough money to build two houses instead of one!
Was there anything else you got out of the deal?
Thunder Root! I have been searching for that very thing!
Merchant George: What's this?
Gentza is brewing a fierce new drink. One of the ingredients he doesn't have -- and needs greatly, mind you -- is Thunder Root. Would you be willing to part with it, merchant George?
Merchant George: This is a RARE item, Goondalf the G! It is worth a small fortune! I'm not about to just HAND it over to anyone, especially to just be part of a drink when I don't drink! [He squints at you.]
You would be compensated, of course, merchant George.
Merchant George: Compensation. Now that's what I'm talking about! For this fine, fine, FINE product, I wouldn't accept less than three thousand crowns!
Three thousand crowns! For that price, I would walk to Fornax by myself, through the Sha'ahoul hordes. Two hundred crowns! It is all I can afford.
Merchant George: Never have I told something of so much value for so little. But I understand your situation, being in the middle of a siege and all. I'm sure you can afford it.
Very well, merchant. Name your price.
The game's manual actually goes out of its way to warn us to have at least 1000 crowns saved up for Chapter Six, since no amount of Charm reduces the price for this. It's not necessary to complete the game, but it's nice to have the warning.
We could start a garden!
Rapid-fire with the callbacks to our glory, I like it.
I have seen this beautiful creature myself; in fact, I saved her from the Sha'ahoul.
Merchant Rayous: Wonderful! Did you know that their very presence can enhance the quality and beauty of the life around them? Before the war started, I spent several seasons searching for the lair of a unicorn. There I had hoped to find some special flowers that grow in just such a region, and...
I'm sure it's a fascinating story, Rayous, but I have rather urgent need of a flower you may possess.
Merchant Rayous: What exactly are you looking for?
Elarath said you may have a bit of Swampfire Flower, as it is used sometimes in perfumes, and that was once your trade.
Merchant Rayous: I'm surprised Elarath would know that -- it seems so long ago now -- but yes, I believe I do still have some essence of Swampfire Flower here somewhere. Let me see.... [He rummages through a dust-coated chest.] Ah, here it is. [handing over a tiny vial] I can't imagine having any use for it nowadays, so you are welcome to it. May it aid you, Goondalf the G, for I know you serve the best interests of Avalon.
Many thanks, Rayous. With this, I can save Elazar -- when he is better, I will let him know of your assistance. Farewell, good merchant.
We should give Elazar both drinks! But first we have to visit the "inn", where our buddy Tristan awaits.
What is that, Madelaine?
Madelaine: Well, just the other day, he and Gentza were chatting it up about the "old days," when Gentza mentioned a concoction he was working on, and was real excited about it. I wonder what it is all about.
Perhaps they've discovered the fountain of youth. [chuckling] Is there anything else you've heard?
Madelaine: [giggling] Maybe you're right! I suppose if they drink enough, they could feel young again. Well, other than those two, I have heard that some of the knights are quite eccentric behind closed doors. Estrella, Zoe, or Allison would be good to ask about such matters.
I see. Anything else?
Madelaine: Oh, just that Tristan has been very busy lately. He keeps asking for me to run into the Inner Keep to bother those engrossed sages for more paper.
I understand Madelaine, take care. May the spirits in your cup be ever-plentiful!
I see you're still busy fending off the mental attacks of Sha'men, Chad.
Chad: That's right, m'boy! They'll never take me alive! If I see a Sha'ahoul, why, I'll... I'll... [He falls asleep.] Zzzzzzzzz....
Chad?
Chad: [Suddenly, he wakes up.] I'LL TEAR EM APART WITH ME BARE HANDS!! Yeah, that's what I'll do. Let me at em! They won't be able to stand a... [He falls asleep again.] ZZZzzzzz...
Chad! Wake up! You're surrounded by Sha'ahoul!
Um, Chad? I'm right here.
Chad: Oh thank the SPIRITS! You're still ALIVE!! Praises be to all that is good and righteous and...
Everything is well, Chad, but I need to be going. Farewell.
Well that was fun. Let's round out this update by checking on the Epic of Goondalf.
His Exellence, eh? I like it.
Yes! Er... Everyone move aside, "His Excellence" is in the room.
Tristan: Ha! I see your humility has abandoned you.
I was only joking, Tristan. Pray tell, how goes the biography?
Did you hear of the unicorn?
Tristan: Of course! Would you like me to read what I've written?
Why, certainly!
Let's put on some music for these...
Music
Oh yes, they are ALL rhymes. 
Have you heard about the battering ram?
What about the Dreamwalkers?
