Wizardry VII - Where are the quests ?

Last time we had just found the city of Munkharama after a long trek in the forest. The city felt abandoned and deserted. There where very few houses and no inhabitants at all. Well, apart from the hostile encounters, that is. We looked through the town very carefully and found a few special places.

• There where only four doors in the corner of the city, each leading to another door that seemed to require some sort of key or object to open.
• We found a well with a riddle. Actually I thought it was a downstair ladder at first and left it for last to examine.
• In the four corners of the city there where some strange urn or markings. I have no idea if I am supposed to do something with these.
• In the middle of the city was an island surrounded by water. The water poured in from open tunnels in the citywalls.

I did my best to figure out the riddle but with no success. After having tried my best for five minutes I gave up. Since I had nowhere else to go except leaving the city I thought I just have to solve the riddle for otherwise I have to return here sooner or later anyway and I wouldn´t be any wiser then. So I checked the solution online which was coin.

The well gave me four coins as a reward. Aha, I thought. These coins must be tried at the locked doors. I went there to check them and sure. They did open. Alas, I was dissapointed to learn that behind two of them where only empty rooms and in the other two there where a lever. I pulled the levers but couldn´t figure out what they did so I had to leave and return back for this part later on.

I decided to check out the small island. It required two or three steps on water. I went ahead and my group started to drown on the second step. Hmm. I reloaded and tried for a few times. Everytime you try to swim you exhaust your stamina. You could easily see if you are able to try to take on more step or not before the stamina goes down to zero. I did a little experimentation. I checked the value of the skill swimming for my mage. Saved. Went out on the water and backtracked. Checked the skill. It had now increased with 1. Perfect. I saved, rested, tried again and it was raised with one. I did that for around 15 minutes. After that all of my party memebers had at least 20 in swimming. I was now able to move three steps of water before drowning. Enough to carry me over to the island.

While there we found a statue and searched the spot to find some more information but nothing that led us anywhere. Another spot where I might have to return to later on in the game.

You can search this spot for more info but nothing that lead me further

The only other place that I had not explored yet was the tunnels into the city walls. We went in there  swimming and saw a small square with a chest behind the walls. Hurray! This got the adrenaline pumping. I trained my group further in swimming and went in. After disarming the chest we got a few items of interest. Mostly potions or scrolls but no new weapon or armour.

From there we could continue to explore the area in the city walls which led us to another part of the city where we found the first shop, an apothecary. The shopkeeper sold mostly potions and a few special items that I have no idea what to use for. We only bought cure poison from him and sold off some other stuff. After this part we had nothing more to do in the city. I felt a little dissappointed. Nothing was accomplished here and I had to move on.

What I did accomplish however was to give my group neccessary experience points and raise in levels. When my mage got Fireball and my alchemist a similar spell the fightings immediately become both easier and faster. If we were rested beforehand and had full mana I must add. The good thing is that it is quite seldom you get interrupted when you rest.

We left the city and backtracked the area we already passed. Mapping out all the squares and roads we´ve missed. This time however, we didn´t have to pay 150 gp to cross the river. We could just swim over. I used this opportunity to swim over to the other sides to explore areas not reachable by any road I had found so far. It did pay off. We met a group of giants guarding a chest. They where tough but I unleashed everything I had and they where unlucky on their turn so I defeated them. The chest contained a magical two handed crusader axe, a crusader helm and armour. The armour made a lot to improve my fighters armour class.

The axe however, could not be used. I had no skill points in the axe skill but when I raised a level I put some points into axe and begun to use it. The difference where enourmous. If I was lucky I could get up to 42 points of damage on a single hit. At least double my previous max damage.

I am very satisfied with my fighter but much less so with the Monk and Priest. The monk could sometimes be lucky and inflict a critical hit which kills the opponent instantly but it happens very seldom. His quarterstaff are doing around 2-10 points of damage. Not much to write home about. The priest is not better but at least he have some spells. The thief is good with backstabbing and hiding  but he uses a worthless fairystick which mostly deals around 4-6 points of damage.

I have just cast the spell identify

After stumbling around the huge overland map we finally reached a new city (I was hoping to crawl down into a dungeon or ruins or something) called Nyetalinth. The T´rang race that inhabited this city was not too pleased to meet me.

After exploring the city we came upon a security area where we got hold of some finger rods that I have no idea what to do with. We also found a T'Rang portbook. Other than that the city so far is as empty as the first. Only when there is some texts attached you have to keep your eyes open and search the area.

My reflections about the game now is that while it is still quite enjoying I am also beginning to tire of the fights. I choose my fights now and reload when there are too many random groups encountering me. That leaves me more time to draw my map undisturbed and take on the fixed fights instead.

My thief is picking locks....

I was just about to complain a little about the non-existent story so far and my lack of purpose for my group when I stumbled upon it. When I entered the city, I was told to go to the high-chamber but not knowing where it was I did systematically start to map out the city instead. After some time I found the high chamber and entered. I met - what I believe - are the T'Rang leader and he was about to test me for my loyalty so he sent us with a message to another important person.We where teleported and met this person who wanted us to join him in the war against the Umpani. Since I had not met the Umpani yet and thought the T'Rang wasn´t a very pleasant partner I declined and was sent back to the T'Rang king. He now wanted me to take on the Rattkin castle. This led me to my first mission in the game and gave my motivation a boost.

This game will easily require at least 100 more hours of me if I am even remotely thinking of trying to complete it in any way.  I am not sure I want to spend the rest of the spring playing this but I will not stop now until I´ve pushed forward in my new direction.

My group are now all at least in their 8th level and I am wondering if I should switch career for some of my partymembers. We will see if anything happens in my next post. It also depends on wether my partymember can meet the requirements of my intended profession.