The Warring States of NPF - The blood of the gods runs through you! Well, one god anyways.

The people want loot, Mary.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Frankly, so do I.

Right. Well, step one is to go gather pending rewards.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg That was not a reward.

Ah well. Nashkel proper is bound to have something for us.

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First of all, we get a warm fuzzy feeling from telling this lady her husband is dead. Wait how does that work?

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Simple, I also told her we couldn't find his body, so that means no other necromancer could have either.

Whatever...works. I guess.

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That's what I'm talking about! Plot-related XP is the best XP.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Oh dear. They've stepped their game up. No more random assassins, this time they're just sending the best they have at us.

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And yet he dies in the first round. I swear it is not my intention to make these fights easier on myself. For some reason the AI seems to think standing RIGHT NEXT TO OUR FIGHTERS and then attempting to cast Mirror Image is a viable strategy.

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Huh. So he could see in the dark. Interesting, I suppose.

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And new boots for Jaheria.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Wait what?

Well think about it. That ring makes her somewhat useful. Plus she went up a level recently and can finally Slow Poison. And she's almost always on the front lines, meaning enemy archers usually see her first. Keeping her alive now that she's finally living up to the cleric part of her multiclass is really the smart thing to do.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Huh. When you say it it makes sense.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Well it looks like we have a lead on who sent this guy. I'm going to pour over the plot-important letters when I have time to figure out where his employer is.

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Welcome to the gods-damned Ankheg farm. Let's see how long it takes for us to die.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Something tells me that you do not care for this area.

In a few minutes, neither will you. First head to that collection of buildings in the west.

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The fisher-farmers ask for us to 'take care of' a problem they have. We'll get back to them on that.

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Meet the Ankheg.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg I can't see it.

Here, let me fix that.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg OH GODS WHAT THE HELL?!

I swear if I see any references in the thread I will hunt you down and gouge your eyes out with a spoon. These things wait for you to walk by, rear up, and then spit...something at you for a ranged attack that does painful amounts of damage. And somehow they continue to spit at you even when you're standing next to them. And don't even think of running, they can tunnel and pop up right next to you while you're recovering. Thankfully we've only got the one to deal with. We kill it and take its shell for later.

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Gee, I wonder what his problem could be, really.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Could it be the large sinkhole he has for a back yard?

It might very well be that. Now, I have a cunning plan.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg This...does not bode well...

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Welcome to the Ankheg cavern. We're probably never coming back here for a few reasons. As you could probably guess, there are Ankhegs all over the damn place. They don't drop all that much, really, and I don't know if they respawn every day-and-night cycle like their kin up above. Frankly, I don't feel like testing it. Now, my cunning plan originally involved sending Imoen over to the north-east corner, then having her drink one of her potions once she'd snagged everything. Sadly, that didn't work for two reasons. One, she's no heavy lifter, and two, she's full of arrows. So, I had to improvise.

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http://i45.tinypic.com/im1mp0.jpg Magic potions make sneaking up on evil that much more fun!

Once we'd looted the Ankheg loot, it was time to leave this hellhole and never look back unless we were higher level. Like, much higher level.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Is there...nothing we could do for him?

Why yes there is. Talk to him again.

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And there is our good deed for the day.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Only one?

Well it's to justify all the slightly wrong things we'll be doing later.

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Funny note, she doesn't actually keep track of all the Ankhegs you kill. I mean, how could she? So once we've hunted a few more down...

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We get a pittance for our trouble and keep going north.

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Welcome to the Baldur's Gate Bridge! The city is actually closed right now, but hey, we don't need to go in anyways. No, right now, we're still going north.

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http://i49.tinypic.com/1zbb5e9.jpg Child, I only wish to talk to-

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg I think she took offense at you calling her 'child.'

http://i49.tinypic.com/1zbb5e9.jpg Perhaps.

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A quick love-tap sets her mind right, and it looks like she's the victim here. Hands up, everyone who didn't see this coming.

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So naturally Jaheria agrees to set things right between the gods. I mean, really. WHY ARE YOU MEDDLING?

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We find that this lady has the same problem as our farmer friend...

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...And that the Ankheg apparently ate someone named Nester. And what do we find further north?

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Welcome to a random, zombie-infested farm! There are 20 zombies here.

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Number one appeared right next to us. Let's count the rest as we find them.

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Two, three, four, and the meaty bits of five and six.

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Seven, eight.

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Nine, ten.

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Eleven.

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Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and the bits of fifteen and sixteen.

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Seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen. At this point I begin a frantic search and finally find...

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Twenty! Twenty zombies, ah ah ah!

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That was a nice diversion. Jaheria got to indulge her undead-destroying compulsion, and we even got paid for it. But we have something to attend to back in Ankheg-land.

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Namely these guys.

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I was unaware Jaheria was part Hulk.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg It would explain a few things...

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http://i49.tinypic.com/1zbb5e9.jpg I think not, gentlemen. This is my beatstick, and you are all on the wrong end of it.

:( Oh balls.

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Well now that we've played with/been played with by the gods, we've got things to grab elsewhere.

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Welcome to the area north of the lighthouse. I think there's...three things? To do here. Two quests and a random person.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg A nereid!

Yeah go tell Imoen to talk to it. Not yourself. There's a reason for it.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Well that was interesting. And if Imoen had lived, it might have even made for interesting blackmail material.

Yeah when you've got the kiss of death you don't tend to mess around. Go beat her up but refrain from killing her.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Well that was fast.

The only problem is she's still standing on Imoen's things, sorta, so you'll be fighting the next guy without any ranged support from her.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Yet again with ogres. This area sure loves to throw them at us.

Anyway, he falls as quickly as the rest and we find amongst his things...

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A nice new helmet for Jaheria.

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Finally, we send the nereid on her way and get Imoen's things back where they belong.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Should I really be trusting a guy named Mad Arcana?

For a few minutes, yes. The ring is in the boat to the west and it won't hurt you unless you decided not to listen to him.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Ye gods, what is this ring made of?

Kryptonite.

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Hey, not bad. Until we actually enter Baldur's Gate, those things are rare.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Now if only everyone was this nice.

Then there wouldn't be a need for any adventurers.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Statement retracted.

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Welcome to the area south of the lighthouse. Why no, I'm not putting off the lighthouse for any reason, whatever gave you that idea? There are two things to do here.

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The first involves this man and his archeological dig...

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Along with his less-than-trustworthy partner.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Ooh, this should be interesting! Ancient corpses!

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Um. I suddenly am filled with an urge to flee.

Interesting note here: if your characters are dumbasses and not a one of them gets in there before the miners go mad, then, well, you get nothing for it. Sadly.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Oh well this just reeks of happiness, sunshine, and rainbows.

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Insane in the mem-

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Please don't.

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Check out the big brain on Kahlid!

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Yeah opting to take him to the temple is the best choice, really.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg Oh?

He's already broken, this way he can try to rebuild himself.

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Plus, this way, the temple likes you and you get a lot more money.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg I can go for that.

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This is a sword Minsc won't be touching.

http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg I don't suppose we could take a small trip to High Hedge?

Knock yourself out.

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http://i49.tinypic.com/1zbb5e9.jpg We have been waiting out here for some time. Where is that child?

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg BEHOLD.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg MY AWESOMENESS.

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http://i46.tinypic.com/149pfn.jpg AND WEEP.