My Sexy Skill Has Increased! Let's Play A Dance with Rogues

RAM A WEAPON THROUGH HIS HEAD

SHH YOU'LL RUIN THE SURPRISE.

Is it weird that I'm hoping this isn't Vico's death (it's too good for him)? I thought this confrontation seemed a little too forced the be Vico's final scene. After all, he's both the "main" love interest and a very disturbing antagonist. I kinda imagined him popping out of nowhere at the worst possible time. Then again, Riona's been separated from her party, sold as a slave and is now being forced to fight. As far as I know, this could be the worst possible time.

RAM IT :D

And yeah D&D confuses me. *shrugs*

Also ick I forgot how damned creepy hostile vico is in this scene. =/ much much prefer neutral Vico.

It's honestly not as satisfying as it could be. Instead of a fair fight (or even an unfair fight) on your own terms, you cheat your way into winning because you're forced to fight and then kick him while he's down.

There's another chance to kill him if you're romancing him, which I'll get to later because I have to finish writing this update, I guess.

there, now it's showing up

*initiates Mortal Kombat announcer voice*

FINISH HIM!

EDIT: (Whoa, Leriel apparently posted that at the same time as me. I swear this wasn't intentional >.>)

I gain 5 Evil alignment points for that, by the way. WHATEVER.

I don't remember much afterwards. It's all like a dream. But finally they take me back to my cell.



"Thanks to the little trick with my clothes."

"Yes. Though you fought well enough to make it a believable outcome."

"He deserved to die."

"You knew this other surfacer?"

"He raped me. I'm glad I got a chance to pay him back."

I am glad. Maybe I'll regret it tomorrow, or when I get back to the surface... but for now, I feel calm inside. I don't have to worry about him anymore.

For a fraction of a second a hint of a smile shows on the dark elf's face. He studies me again for a while. "Matron Do'Vrinn might decide to sell you to another house now that you're famous. You would fetch a great price, considering the fact that you just beat the champion everybody believed would win a hundred battles or more."

I say nothing. The dark elf studies me for a while longer, and I wonder if he's going to say something more. But finally he turns to leave. I sleep without dreaming until my cell door opens again.

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Honestly I liked it because of that. He kicked my princess when she was down and vulnerable and she did the same only hers was far more fatal.

Also evil points? Pfft. Killing Vico needs good points if anything.

Hmm. You know, when you put it that way it's quite a bit better. Thanks.

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Ugh HER.

"See, was that so difficult? Alright, so you knew him. Where from?"

"He was my companion."

"And why were you here?"

"We were traveling on the Great River when our boat suddenly got swept away, and then there was this big waterfall..."

"And you're just a fisherwoman, right?" She hits me with her whip.

"I met him a few weeks ago. I don't really know him."

"I know he was no stranger to you, bitch! Don't lie to me!" She hits me with her whip.

I shouldn't have said anything to Rizzen. In the corner of my eye I see him watching, impassively. Was he the one who told her?

"We tried to find a way through the Black Mountains, to reach the Dhorn Empire."

"Why don't you start from the beginning, whore? Tell me who you are, and who planted that stupid idea to enter the Underdark in your brain?"

[Bluff] "I'm on a mission for the church of the Sun Lord. I'm trying to find a golden chalice."

[Failure] She snaps her fingers. "Kill her."

If you don't speak up here you get killed. BAD END and I hope you had a save before the start of this scene.

"No wait, please!"

"Well?"

I tell her about Master Nathan, how he was captured by the Dhorn and I'm trying to rescue him. The drow listens in silence, and I try to give her enough information to keep her attention without giving everything about myself away.

[Bluff] I tell her I'm Master Nathan's niece.

[Success] "And now you wish to free your uncle? Aww, that's so cute." She smiles coldly and runs her whip over my breasts.

"Please, will you let me go?"

She hits me with her whip. "Don't you ever dare address me without being asked, slave! Take her back to her cell."

The pain is so great I can barely walk. But I'm alive, and they don't know I'm the Princess, so they won't try to sell me to the Dhorn. That's all I can ask for right now.

"Feeling better?"

I hiss. "No!"

"Still full of fury. I would have hoped the recent happenings had cooled you down some."

"Maybe if you had used icicles instead of glowing coals."

An amused smile shows on his face.

"I do not see how that's funny."

I do, really; I'm just surprised he does.

"What's your name?"

"Riona... Riona Stormborn."

"Riona..." It sounds strange hearing him speak my name. It doesn't seem to be made for a dark elf's tongue. "I brought you a treatment for your belly." He hands me a potion.

"Thank you."

"Be glad my sister Akordia was the one to question you, not Talice. Akordia is indifferent to using coals, whereas Talice bathes in the agony she creates in her victims. I think it's the only time she feels pleasure."

"Why do you help me now? Why didn't you help me when...?"

"Matron Do'Vrinn herself ordered Akordia to question you. You are not worth invoking her anger."

It's not like it would have done any good. The drow would have probably just killed us both.

"And why do you help me now?"

"Learning of your background was an interesting turn of events. Matron Do'Vrinn ponders how to best make use of you."

"I'm afraid I won't fetch a ransom."

"It is not about money, but influence, power."

"I don't see how I could be of help."

"For now you'll stay in your cell."

"I really have to get out. I have to find out what happened to my comrades."

"You killed the male surfacer yourself. I have heard of a few other surfacers that were recently taken captive, but they all fell victim to mind flayers."

"You are lying!"

"I have no reason to."

He's right; why would he lie to me? But maybe he's wrong. They must have escaped. They can fight. They must still be alive. They...

Suddenly, a piercing shriek fills the air. "House Noqut'tar..."

next update

Offhand, I have no idea. I'll check when I get a chance.

Ah, Vico. We were far too merciful.

And DAMN, he was hostile. We weren't even unreasonably snappy with him and he's working up sick fantasies like that? Boy needs some therapy. Or, you know. Some head-crushing. 'S all good.

Uh I guess I'll keep going for a while tonight. ~*~the magic of insomnia~*~

"Rizzen?"

"Oh, you."

"Is everything alright?"

"No."

"Shouldn't you join in the fight?"

"Mother will put a quick end to it."

"So you'll win. Isn't that good?"

He nods. "It is."

"You don't seem to be too happy about that."

"You do not understand."

"You blame yourself for failing your Matron?"

"No. She walked into that trap herself."

"What trap?"

I know there was something about the mirror, but I've never seen a spell like that. I don't know how it works, or why.

"That mirror you destroyed. When I arrived to warn her she was already under the spell of Matron Noqut'tar. The female you saw in the mirror. I think Matron Noqut'tar asked Mother for a discussion, trying to trap her while House Noqut'tar's soldiers prepared the attack. It requires powerful magic to bind a Matron. That Matron Noqut'tar would succeed proves Lloth's favor. Of course, we will fight back now. Lloth's favor shifts quickly, and as it seems, the Spider Queen's favor is with us now."

"So it's a good day for your House, isn't it?"

He nods. "But not for me. Or you. You, a slave, and a surfacer at that, rescued mother. Can you comprehend how shameful that is? She has but one choice, to eliminate all proof that it has happened. She will kill you. And me as well, for I witnessed it."

"She'd kill her own son?"

"Of course. We are both doomed."

How could any mother be so cruel? I try not to think of my own mother. Rizzen wouldn't understand how much I loved her.

"We're not dead yet."

He laughs bitterly. "It's only a question of time. You cannot run from Mother. You'd be the target of every bounty hunter and mercenary in the city. Anyone who would like to gain the Mother's favor."

"We could go to the surface where nobody knows you. You might even help me rescue my friends."

"The surface, pshaw!"

"My friends run a thief guild in my home city. They could use one of your skill."

"Right. A dark elf."

I could probably escape without his help. But right now, he doesn't seem like just a dark elf. He's like I was the night the castle fell. Hopeless, and alone.

"Are you so afraid that you prefer death?"

He snickers. "Trying to manipulate me, are you?"

"I'm serious."

He looks at the ground again, thinking. Finally, after a minute or so, he takes a deep breath and nods. "Alright. But don't ever betray me. Should that happen, I will kill you."

"I give you my word."

"Follow me, and try to be silent."

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Now that we've gone through all that...

If anyone has strong feelings about pursuing the Rizzen romance vs. Bran romance, make your opinion heard now!

Note that Bran is permanently out of our party unless we continue romancing him. Also note that I screwed up the Bran romance, used cheats to restore it, and missed some of the content in the meantime, so this LP should not by any means be taken as a walkthrough.

Also also note that if people don't have strong feelings one way or another, I'll stick with Bran, if only because, for the purposes of the LP, I'd rather show more party interaction.

Augh. Drow or not, relatively nice drow or not, this motherfucker's waaay too possessive considering we just saved his sorry ass twice over. Let's stick with Bran, the dynamic is skeeving me out.

Riona kills one creeper and turns around to find another following her. The sad thing is that even while explaining that she's still a slave and nothing will ever change that, he still manages to be more polite about it than Vico ever was.

Not gonna lie, curious about the Rizzen romance, but I'm curious about all of 'em, so I think Riona ought to stay with Bran. He may be a patronizing muscleman, but at least he tries to be respectful. Key word: tries.

Yep let's stick with Bran. I might as well finish seeing that romance anyway. (And yeah Rizzen is creepy in the beginning. Gah why all the LIs I like start off as creepers? *weeps*)

And I'm a bit curious seeing how Bran and Rizzen will interact. (bah at romances deciding who stays in your party.

Stick with Bran please. I need some mollifying sweetness to leaven my violent-sexual-abuse cake.

Rizzen is confusing me. Is he already in love with the Princess or is that his default way to deal with beautiful slaves?

Most likely default way what made me facepalm is how (slight spoilers for the traveling through underdark section. Nothing plot important though)

I think it's just how he deals with slaves. Considering what Ryz009 posted above, I think it has more to do with making sure she understands their relationship than any particular sexual attraction to her. But I'm not as familiar with Rizzen as with the other characters, so I'll have to refresh my memory as we go along.

Looks like we'll continue romancing Bran, in any case. I'll try to put up some of the Rizzen romance as non-canon updates.

Nerys, I love you and your non-canon romance updates.
You always appease my curiosity. <3

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This is kind of a side note I've been wanting to mention but didn't really have anywhere in particular to fit into an update.

I mentioned that I like the cutscenes in the Underdark. It's a high point for the game's writing, and the circumstance makes you feel helpless without the sense that the helplessness is arbitrary or unfair. The structure is a little bit clunky (in particular, having to rest and wait to trigger the next cutscene in the sequence), but in general I like this part of the game.

However, it's a bit of a disappointment that in the Underdark, the setting shifts from something original and new to something heavily reliant on Forgotten Realms lore. It pulls me out of the story a bit. Even if the drow here are basically Forgotten Realms drow in terms of biology and culture, just making up new names for gods or cities or families would make it feel a bit less out of place.

So, wait, all the drow names, family names and the name of their gods/godesses are exactly as they were in Forgotten Realms?
But the rest of the game is not?
I'm not really well-versed in terms of D&D&etc. lore, so I don't quite understand your post. Sorry, but could you elaborate a little bit more?

Oh, and, holy shit man, Bran sure is expensive.

I always thought it was a bit contrived that the only way to free the Princess from the cage was to be sufficiently respectful to Rizzen so that he would drop the key while fighting the gnolls. If she isn't, the battle occurs but not in front of her and she eventually starves to death in the cell.

The battle between Rizzen and the gnolls is also tedious where Valine tries to show what a badass Drizit...I mean Rizzen is (Rog 7 / Ass 7 -- at least he doesn't wield two scimitars). Unfortunately it fails for me because it takes him forever to kill them. The Princess by this point of the game could easily beat the gnolls much quicker. I also found the railroading to be a bit much when after the Princess escapes the house with Rizzen she cannot effectively just kill him as well. He can be goaded to fight through conversation, but if killed the character is stuck and cannot leave the courtyard.

It is in these areas that the player becomes robbed of character agency. It seemed to me that if the character does not help Rizzen's house, then she should be capture by House Noqut'tar with more ensuing bad things happening such a forfeiting the chance to find out about Bran and Pia, loosing the chance to retrieve her equipment -- something.

The other problem I always had was with how Vico is portrayed as the champion of House Noqut'tar. Frankly Vico is just not that impressive in combat (Rog 2 / Ftr 6 / Blk 4 and poorly optimized for two weapon fighting). He is easily beaten by the Princess even if she goes naked in the ring. The Princess with 1 one level of Shadowdancer for HIPS easily crushes him because his Spot skill is so low. This consecutive wins he had must have been against one-armed kobolds.

I never had a problem with the two choices on how to kill him however. It is especially impressive if playing the Princess from a certain point of view. The view where she enters into a romance with Vico with the thought of biding her time until the right moment to strike. It makes his surprise at her ramming her sword through his head all the sweeter because she truly hits him from his point of vulnerability -- his hubris as he would never imagine she could betray him.

Not all the names, but Rizzen mentions Lloth/Lolth and there were a couple of house names in the city that I recognized (although I can't find my screenshots so I have to double-check what they are). I thought the city name was from D&D sources as well, but I looked it up and was apparently mistaken.

Lloth is the spider queen/goddess in the Forgotten Realms setting. Sort of the default for Drow in 3rd edition in general. The naming pattern of the two houses are similar to FR lore as well as the power structures with the powerful matriarchy.

However, the theology of the world is barely explored in generally, so I didn't find Lloth that distracting. Aside from Lloth, the only other two deities mentioned are the Sun Lord (which could still be FR) and the Nameless One (which is very generic). Maybe the drow could have referred to Lloth as The Dark Queen or something to make it more generic in fitting with the rest of the deities. :) (I don't really count Hyath as a deity as he comes across as more of a Demon Lord).

I think it bothered me more that the Princess was set up to be a fighter instead of a chamber maid or something similar -- unless the Princess did truly beat the Gray Render with her bare hands (which I have done with a Monk build, but a Wizard/Sorcerer build could do as well). She then could have been given a reason to skulk around Maeralssin. The city could have then been fleshed out some more that way as well and perhaps made a bit less generic.

It's definitely my least favorite bad end of the game. But I just hate plot-unpickable locks in general. There ought to have been a way to script "now that your jailers are all busy you have a chance to get the lock open without being noticed" after the fight started, although I suppose that raises the question of why you couldn't do it all along.

Yep. D&D just doesn't make for dramatic fighting cutscenes, especially when the AI sucks. Problem could have been solved by just sending in fewer gnolls.

Aw crap, really? I noticed you could kill Rizzen and figured you would then just be able to escape on your own. This changes my opinion somewhat. There's no reason you should need Rizzen to escape when you can just sneak. (Or, like you said, be captured, which would still reach a bad end but would be less arbitrary.)