Lurker > I_Abibde

Going back to see RP1 with the missus today (if possible) and see if I can catch more references.

keyblader1985 posted...

I don't even have words.

Clearly, he enjoys Lays Sour Cream 'n' Chives potato chips with his heaping helping of ahegao.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Picked up the Code Realize (semi-)sequel, Future Blessings, for Vita. There is also a PS4 version available that has both the new game and the original Guardian of Rebirth on the same Blu-Ray disc.

Also made it to the theater to see Ready Player One. I tend to find Spielberg movies to be overly sentimental, but I still enjoyed it. Tons of references, including several to anime.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

This is unfortunate, but, at the same time, it is not all that surprising.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

All things are not willing, apparently. Looking more like tomorrow or Friday. x_X My apologies.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*facepalm*

Slow news day, Duckbear?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Because the furries are traditionally the absolute bottom of the Internet hierarchy. I take a certain comfort from their existence, since it means there is at least one group the Internet hates more than anime / manga fans.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*headscratch*

I am still wondering how Roseanne is continuing when the whole point of the final season was that she was dreaming it all up because her husband had died.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

I am a little bemused to see people describing the Civil War comics as good thirteen years later when they were ... pretty widely loathed upon release.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Entertainment that is boring has failed to accomplish its purpose, but entertainment that is actively frustrating, annoying, and which makes you hate the people who made it has actively achieved the opposite of its purpose.

People really do have a love-or-hate relationship with Final Fantasy VIII, even almost twenty years later, it seems. I'm on the love side; it's still one of my favorite games in the series. Then again, the other two in my top three are FF2 and FF4, with FF6 sort of transcending the list, so make of my taste what you will.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

YoukaiSlayer posted...

It seems lots of anime watchers don't know to expect melodrama from yuri and went in with unrealistic expectations.

To be fair, melodrama-free yuri would be a nice change of pace, especially after car crashes like Netsuzou Trap. While I don't need my yuri to be realistic, I'd at least like it to be believable.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

No, but I am willing to accept that sum of money for the task. Even after taxes, that would be enough to set me up for most of the rest of my life.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

The Vita, like the parrot from the sketch, is never quite dead. Sony might have abandoned it almost from the beginning, but third party developers have been good to it over the years, at least if you are a fan of JRPGs, VNs, and the like (like me).
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

TheSlinja posted...

if its so good how come there isnt a radiany historia 2

Considering that Radiant Historia is spiritually the Chrono Trigger sequel we always wanted ....
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

The Alliance Alive (3DS) released today. No fanfare for it, but it is another one of those first runs that Atlus does (i.e. special box, art book, soundtrack CD, keychain, etc.). Will have to see how it compares to Legend of Legacy.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Froot Loops do this, too. So do Fruity Pebbles. A little disturbing the first time it happens, but par for the course once you get used to it.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

If you enjoy poop, I suppose one turd is about the same as another.

....

In all seriousness, though, the two games handle differently enough (action-RPG versus limited turn-based RPG) that FFXIII will be a different experience for you despite similar character design, similar lack of coherence, etc.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Next level should be posted tonight or tomorrow, all things willing.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

helIy posted...

re4 did not age well at all, tf

ITT: Helly and Helly opinions (like propane and propane accessories).
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

shadowsword87 posted...

I've found a dumb space game that I can roleplay in which has been eating away a lot of my PotD time.

Starfinder, perhaps? Or White Star? Neither of the above?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*shrugs*

Seems all right by me. Then again, I still play my PS2 on the regular.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Errata: I get points off for misspelling Hanagamas in the last big post. And more points for basic grammar goofs. *shakes head* Got to work on that.

The Night Before (2)

"A real thief doesn't let himself be intimidated by stories," Koga said, holding up his tankard for P.O. to refill. "That's what the boss at the guild told me. If you're looking for treasure, real treasure, you can't let anything get in your way. You've got to find out the truth, and then you've got to take it back with you. So --" He took a deep breath to steady himself as the alcohol made him see double. "-- I thought, what the heck, why not? I'll go for the biggest treasure there is, and in the biggest dungeon! The boss didn't try to stop me, either. He just smiled, shook his head, and wished me luck. That's it."

Darico replied, slurring his words, "Thieving's the easy part, boy. Anybody can pick something up and take it. If you're talking dungeons, thieving's the very last thing you'll be doing. You've got to get through the traps, the monsters, all of that, and all without getting lost." He sniffed loudly. "All right, then. Tell me what you've got, then. Ever been to a dungeon before? Even once? Is that why you're so confident about this one?"

"Nothing this big," Koga admitted, "but the boss hired me out for a party that went into the Goblin Caves of Al Godra. Eight of us. Leader thought the whole place'd been mapped, but wanted to make sure." He blinked his eyes, trying to clear the bleariness. "Found a false wall. Knocked it open. Figured we'd find what the Goblins had buried down there." He tightened his grip on his tankard. "Turns out it was a demon's tomb. I mean, we got out, and we brought back some loot like the boss had never seen, but only three of us made it back. Guess I'm lucky one of 'em was me, huh?"

"Funny," Darico said, wiping his nose on his sleeve, "I heard about that party. Didn't think one of 'em was you. That was, what, three or four years ago? You're still young now. You'd've been a kid back then, huh? That couldn't've been easy for you." He sighed. "Still, don't you think this is just ... a bit bigger than Al Godra? A bit?"

"Hey," Koga replied, resting his chin in his hands, "after the stuff I saw down there, I'm ... not afraid to die. Really. I saw our Cleric get torn to pieces by mummified hellspawn." He closed his eyes. "High Elf. Prettiest girl in the world. That's what I thought at the time. And they ripped her apart. She wasn't even dead yet when they --" He choked up. "I haven't been the same since then. I just keep taking bigger and bigger risks. I don't care how I die. I just hope it's not like that, screaming for help while everybody else just ... cuts and runs." He shook his head. "I didn't go back and help her. Probably would've died if I had. I did the smart thing." A sigh. "Still doesn't feel like the right thing."

"Thief shouldn't have a conscience, boy," Darico grumbled. "That's how you get killed. You did the smart thing. If you wanna live, you'd better keep doing the smart thing. Don't worry about the right thing. When you're an adventurer, there isn't one. You've got to step on as many people as it takes to --" But Koga had fallen asleep, his head on the bar. "Damn it, kid, I'm trying to give you good advice here." He finished off his ale. "Ah, well. You do what you think you have to do. Things go the way I think they will, you've got a good, clean death coming long before you see what's really down there."

Next to him, Koga saw the Cleric dying in his nightmares, as he always did.
---

-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

My Pathfinder group met today to convert our characters to 5th Edition D&D, so there that goes. Liking 5th Edition more than I expected after all these years.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Which is the worse reaction, apathy or raw seething hatred?

Apathy, IMO. At least hatred means a game made you feel something, right?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

YoukaiSlayer posted...

Theres other genres too, writers.

*ponders*

Comedy yuri? Definitely.

Horror yuri? ... Maybe. I'd watch it.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Main Series
Final Fantasy VI = Best
Final Fantasy XIII = Worst
Final Fantasy VIII = Most Underrated
Final Fantasy VII = Most Overrated

Spin-Offs
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions = Best
Final Fantasy: All the Bravest = Worst
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest = Most Underrated
Dissidia NT Final Fantasy = Most Overrated
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

All right, the next Night Before post should be happening tonight or tomorrow, followed by the next level of the dungeon on Sunday or Monday. I have also updated the Pastebin for the next level.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

I admit that it is fun to have Sunny do stuff that would not normally be admissible in your average D&D tabletop game.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Lokchan posted...

Torgo's bad acting is great though. I wonder if it's actually acting or if he's really handicapped.

I can answer this question! Several years back, Entertainment Weekly interviewed the young lady (well, not really young any more) who played the little girl in the movie, and she mentioned that the (community theatre) actor playing Torgo was out of his mind on LSD for the entire production.

The director also got slapped across the face at the first screening of the movie. Good times.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

KogaSteelfang posted...

Do you mind if I ask how old you are?

Don't mind a bit. I'll be thirty-eight this year.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

KogaSteelfang posted...

I didn't know you were married.

I've mentioned it before, but not in the topics where I normally see you. I have two adult (step)daughters and, very recently, one grandson.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

green dragon posted...

I'm just waiting on blood stained to be released

Me, too. About a year overdue, at this point, but at least they are still working on it.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

I remember seeing the WSC under glass, but the only reason for me to be interested in that one was Super Robot Wars (and the Final Fantasy I & II releases that got recompiled into FF Origins on PS1).

And I actually have the NGP, but there's not much to play on that aside from stuff you've seen from SNK before on bigger, better platforms.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*headscratch*

I thought Warriors All-Stars was supposed to be the 'new' Orochi series?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

The others are correct, Link. There are so many different time zones represented here on Game FAQs that starting a consistent group is almost impossible. The good news is that, if you are looking for a good, easy-to-use system to play and have very little money (as most gamers do), you can acquire several sourcebooks as free (and legal!) PDFs. I recommend Googling up any of the following:

Basic Fantasy RPG
Delving Deeper
FATE / Fudge
Labyrinth Lord
OSRIC
Swords & Wizardry

All of those titles are derived from the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons. They are not heavy on the rules, and they are easy to pick up and play. I enjoy playing and running D&D 5th Edition in the real world, but the books are expensive, as they are for Pathfinder. These games, on the other hand, are made to be accessible. Hell, most of the developers state outright that they are not interested in making money from them; they only want to disseminate them to as many players as possible to keep that style of play alive. For learning how to GM, I also recommend A Quick Primer For Old School Gaming by Matt Finch, another free PDF.

When I designed the Fantasy Dungeon Death Battle, I did it with these systems and styles of play in mind, if that tells you anything.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*thinks*

I feel like the GBC was a tentative step because of a key weakness of the other color portables of the time (e.g. the Game Gear and the Lynx): hilariously poor battery life. I get the feeling that the original Game Boy had such a long life span for the same reason. ... Also a big fan of the GBA, which is the result of Nintendo solving that long problem (IMO).
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Logan made my father cry, and he never does that. Great movie.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Hmm. I only go online for the Nintendo eShop, these days, at least on my 3DS, so this does not affect me. I personally think there should be no fee, but that has been my belief since the days of the first XBox Live.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*thumbs up*

Almost ten years of marriage here. Congratulations on being in the double digits!
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Well, if the community's going to be ungrateful, I'd say you're well within your rights to tell 'em to fuck off. I think it'd be a shame if you stopped making things entirely, though.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Konami: "We don't make games any more. Except Metal Gear Survive, and that's just to spite Kojima."
---

-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

I have the rolls for the next level done (but not posted to Pastebin yet), so I can share a bit. Too many people to quote, so --

Link: I figured I might as well have this Link live up to your user name. So far, the numbers have been good to him.

Archmage: The Undead start happening at the next level. I have plans for them.

Parrot: So far, for a guy who throws fire at people, the rolls have made you very bro to the others. I find that funny.

Fox: And you, the Orc with the cool weapons, is double bro. Also funny.

Cyborg: Shit gets real for you on the next level. I can tell you that much.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

KogaSteelfang posted...

It's fitting I guess.

Experienced thieves are stealthy and agile. Maybe you were one of the ones who was not quite ready for prime time? More on that when I do the next Night Before post (Monday, most likely).
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Cyborg had used the entrance that Wukong had made, and Adamec had followed him at a safe distance, not eager to risk the scenario of a normal man pitting himself against a demigod. Not that he had expected to see a being like that in his lifetime. Three months ago, he had only been a soldier coming home to his village after five years defending the frontiers of the realm, but he had come home to famine and disease. His journey to the Pit had been one of desperation. The wealth the Contestpromised could feed his family, his neighbors, everyone. As far as he was concerned, the risks he faced were worth the possibility of protecting everything he held near to his heart.

Cyborg, for his part, had full awareness of Adamec behind him, but he did not see the need to kill him at that point in time, as the human did not pose a real threat to him.

Larry and Jen had both gone down the well, though Larry had only managed that feat through Jen helping him every step of the way. The reality of his situation still had yet to reach his brain through the haze of alcohol from the night before (and from the flask he continued to use for sipping). Until then, Jen could at least make use of him as a distraction, and to keep both her hands free by carrying a lantern and a supply of oil.

Matthea and Game Lord had used the same entrance to the dungeon, but they had then gone in opposite directions. She had felt a little regret, but only a little. One did not reach the heights of magecraft by feeling sorrow. One got there by being wary, and her sixth sense told her that danger approached, prompting her to turn quickly as Haganamas emerged from the darkness next to her, one of his swords cutting her across the back of the hand before she raised a barrier to catch his other blade and bounce him backwards into the shadows. For a long moment, silence. Then, nothing.

She had not been the easy prey Haganamas had envisioned, perhaps. He might have hoped to kill her in a single blow. Having not done that, it suited him to fade back into the darkness. As it stood, though, he had injured one of the hands she needed to cast her spells, and compensating for that could cost her in the long run. She cursed under her breath, but ... nothing to be done for it. She had only to press onwards.

1. Archmage007 -- Human Wizard [Archmage] [- 1]
2. Ha21nagamas -- Half-Dragon Ranger [Hanagamas] [- 1]
3. LinkPizza -- Elf Bard [Link] [- 1]
4. Stupid Pirate Guy -- Human Druid [Guy] [- 1]
5. Melon_Master -- Half-Dragon Bard [Melon] ... Killed By # 7 [Level 0]
6. Greenfox111 -- Orc Ranger [Fox]
7. WhiskeyDisk -- Dark Elf Rogue [Whiskey]
8. KogaSteelfang -- Human Thief [Koga] ... Killed By # 25 [Level 1]
9. Mead -- Dwarf Barbarian [Mead]
10. SunWuKong420 -- Demigod Monk [Wukong]
11. Jen0125 -- Elf Assassin [Jen]
12. LaggnFragnLarry -- Human Gigolo [Larry]
13. keyblader1985 -- Human Swashbuckler [Key]
14. ss4parrothair -- Human Pyromancer [Parrot]
15. trodi_911 -- Orc Fighter [Grillga]
16. wwinterj25 -- Dark Elf Sorcerer [Winter] [- 1]
17. GameLord113 -- Human Barbarian [Game Lord]
18. TheCyborgNinja -- (Former) Human Assassin [Cyborg]
19. [NPC] Adamec -- Human Fighter
20. [NPC] Darico -- Dwarf Rogue
21. [NPC] Fiske -- Human Alchemist [- 2]
22. [NPC] Belicia -- Elf Cleric [- 1]
23. [NPC] Matthea -- Human Sorceress [- 1]
24. [NPC] Rhona -- Half-Elf Rogue
25. [NPC] Tomo -- Human Samurai

23 Adventurers Remain
---

-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Mead had entered the tunnels through a hole that he originally thought might have belonged to one burrowing animal or another, only to find Parrot waiting for him on the other side, his hands already glowing as his flames filled them. No advantage there, leading Mead to lower his axe and smile, trusting that his true nature -- and the bloodlust it contained -- did not show in his eyes. He had to let his Dwarf side show instead, using his sense of earth and stone to guide him through the tunnels as Parrot followed at a discreet distance, his fire magic always ready at his fingertips.

In a different section of tunnels, Wukong followed the thief Darico for the same reason that Parrot followed Mead, except that Wukong kept his presence concealed, lest the Dwarf try to trick him. Not that anyone dared to trick the Monkey King, since he had entered the tunnels in the first place by using his fist to smash a hole through the ground at his feet. Effortless. He feared nothing from any mortal dungeon.

The cemetery behind the remains of the village church had nothing but open graves in it, and one of those had been deep enough to lead into the tunnels. Belicia had used a spell to levitate herself down through that entrance, and the mist that she noticed there reincorporated itself into Guy almost as soon as she guessed at his presence.

The Druid leaned against one of the walls, holding his side. He thought that Mead had only grazed him, but the injury had already started to burn, suggesting that the edge of the axe had been poisoned. A fever had already blossomed in his head, and the incantations he murmured under his breath did almost nothing to keep it at bay, suggesting one of several unpleasant possibilities that he had to face.

"Be healed, friend," Belicia said, her fingertips brushing his forehead as her white magic lifted the worst of his pain. "I've no quarrel with you." She ignored the pain in her ribs. Her goddess granted her the ability to heal others, but did not give her the means to heal herself -- a price she had hoped never to pay, but she had been sent to the Pit on what basically amounted to a suicide mission by the High Elf Elders. She had resolved to save her complaints for the afterlife, though the pain still lingered in her side.

"Thank ... you," Guy replied, blinking his eyes, the haze partially lifting from his mind. She had not been able to cure him, not completely. Perhaps it had not been a poison? Perhaps it had been -- ? He dreaded to consider the possibility. Best to collect himself and continue on his mission. As a Druid, he had a duty to keep the corruption of the Pit from spreading, and many other Druids had died attempting the same thing.

If he had thought about that instead of his pain, he might have realized that he and Belicia had similar causes, but the High Elf had already continued on her way.

A short distance from that exchange, Fiske pressed his back to the wall, clenching his teeth, wishing that the Cleric had noticed him first. He had managed to remove the knife from his back, and he had used his expertise to at least stop the bleeding, but Rhona had true aim, and he suspected that she might have injured -- or punctured -- his right lung. And to think that he had been puttering in his laboratory only days before, hardly a thought in his head of the Pit and his secrets ... until he had discovered that book.

Fiske kept thoughts of that book to himself, though, as he noticed Grillga heading down one of the adjoining passages. He did not distrust the Orc, but he thought it best to not take any chances. He only had so much time and so much blood, after all.

(Cont.)
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

YoukaiSlayer posted...

I'm led to believe that its much easier to follow it all in the novels since you get to start from the beginning and it doesn't really matter what people look like in a book.

The problem was that the English release of the novels (and the associated manga) was equally nonsensical, IIRC.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

As Winter followed Whiskey through the crack he had discovered from the map, Key explored a building that had been a storehouse, tapping his Keyblade against sections of flooring in search of a hollow sound that might lead him to another entrance. It did not take long for him to find the right section, tapping it once to allow the magic of the Keyblade to open it up and reveal what he sought: a ladder descending into a round pit. He made his way down that ladder, using his feet to test each rung and avoid a fall. At the bottom, roughly the same ten meters that Link had descended, he cast a minor spell to make a small flame appear at the tip of the Keyblade to provide light.

The light revealed Fox standing in one of the passages, and Key immediately raised his weapon, but the Orc said, shaking his head, "Don't be so jumpy. It's a maze down here. Too many people digging in too many directions. Lost track of my companion after we went down the well." He snorted. "So it looks like you're going to be her replacement, at least for now. Haven't seen anything moving, but there's a first time for everything."

"All right," Key replied, not taking his eyes off the two saw-bladed scimitars the Orc had in his hands. He had a sick feeling about the entire enterprise, but the chance to use his Keyblade to unlock one of the great secrets of the realm managed to keep him moving.

Archmage had entered the tunnels through a door he had discovered in a wine cellar attached to the ruins of a tavern, a small mote of light hovering next to his head to illuminate his surroundings. Ahead, he glimpsed a hulking silhouette, but it carried a torch, meaning that he faced another adventurer, not one of the Undead.

Game Lord noticed Archmage, nodded once, and disappeared down another passage. He had also entered through the well, choosing to methodically explore the tunnels while the Sun still hovered above the Ruins overhead. He guessed that the Undead might not be active -- or, at least, not as active -- during the day, and he had to make good use of the limited time available before they started to actively stalk him.

Archmage let the barbarian go, but he approached the tunnels with the same basic idea: explore, make good use of time, then prepare for the inevitable onslaught of Undead ... and a possible second face-to-face encounter with the might of Wukong.

Back at the well, Koga looked down into the darkness. He had noticed several of the others choosing that path, the one best known, and he had decided to pace himself and not be caught by surprise. That Darico had betrayed him so easily bothered him, so he resolved to be less nave, and he had waited for the coast to clear before he emerged from the shadows and tested the rope leading down into the well. He had been keeping count of the others, and he though he had accounted for almost all of them.

But 'almost all of them' did not mean 'all of them'. He only noticed Tomo approaching the well when she was almost upon him, her steps calm and measured.

"Oh! Um, hello! I --" Koga did not have a chance to finish his sentence.

"Hinin," Tomo said, her katana flashing as she decapitated him in a single motion, his head bouncing along the ground for a fair distance as his body collapsed, twitching, to the ground. Hinin. The term her people used for a non-person ... like a thief. Thieves had no honor, and could be killed by any samurai without fear of punishment. Koga, unfortunately, had talked loudly of being a thief at the bar the night before.

Tomo casually flicked the blood from her blade before resheathing it and climbing down the rope into the darkness, leaving the remains of Koga to lie next to the well.

(Cont.)
---

-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Apologies. Hard drive decided that it needed to be defragmented yesterday, but I have overcome that, so ... here it goes.

Level 1
The Well / Tunnels

Several entrances to the Pit of Periphetes had been documented by the surveyors of Rostik after the first incident at Vikenti and the early expeditions into the dungeon, and all the years of the Contest had resulted in the creation of a number of new entrances by adventurers trying different methods of avoiding the deaths of their predecessors.

Link had discovered one of those entrances. In the remnants of a house, he noticed a square pit, large enough to admit a single person, that had been excavated in a space that might have once been a pantry. Looking into the pit revealed that handholds and footholds had been carved into one side of the shaft, leading down to uncertain depth. Link nodded once to himself before sheathing his short sword and returning his shield to his back to free up his hands, but he noticed footfalls approaching the house.

"Hold, Elf." Rhona stood at the entrance of the house, her empty hands raised, though her dark eyes gauged the distance separating them. "Looks like you and I picked the same lot. I'm willing to let you go first. No foul play." She had no reason to expect the High Elf to attempt to kill her in cold blood. His people had a code of honor, after all -- unlike her, but one did not deal death unless it best served the goal at hand.

Link raised one hand as a show of agreement before climbing down into the pit, his Elf eyes allowing him to see in the darkness for a short distance. By his count, the shaft descended for roughly ten meters before his feet contacted ground again, showing him tunnels heading off in several different directions. He listened for Rhona, and she arrived in less than a minute, pausing only to light up a small lantern on her belt.

"All right," she said, cracking her knuckles and smiling, "you pick a tunnel, I pick a tunnel, and there we part. Agreed?" He nodded, and she disappeared through one of the openings to his right. "See you down below, Elf. Don't let the Undead bite."

She might have had a small laugh at that, but Link faced the possibility of the Undead with a stone-faced certainty, his short sword and shield returning to his hands.

Above him, in front of a small hill facing the Ruins, Whiskey looked down at the map that he had acquired from Melon, and he squinted at a pile of dead brush at the foot of the hill, noticing a crack in the dirt wide enough to admit him if he turned his body sideways and sucked in his breath. Winter walked up to stand next to him, smoothing his black robes, but he seemed to be in no hurry to hurl a spell at his fellow Dark Elf.

"I can cut the brush, friend, or you can burn it," Whiskey said, not looking up from the map. "Up to you. Might be able to save a little time here." He narrowed his eyes, smiling, but still not looking up. "Or you can try to blow me up, but I'd save that spell for another time, if I were you. Lots of nasty things still between us and the bottom."

Winter returned the grin. "I can spare a little flame. Child's play, really." One quick gesture, and the brush caught fire, burning up so quickly that nothing remained but smoke and a little ash. "After you, then." He made a deep, exaggerated bow.

"You're too kind." Whiskey shook his head. He had no doubt in his mind that Winter was willing to kill him, but both Dark Elves had patience to spare, as well as other enemies that took priority. He offered Winter a mock salute before squeezing through the crack and finding himself in a crude tunnel sloping sharply downwards.

(Cont.)
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

I agree that trying to follow Boogiepop is normally almost impossible. Perhaps they are planning to (re)start from the beginning?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

*thinks*

Has anybody mentioned Escape From Camp Deadly yet?

*does a quick CTRL-F*

Hmm. Good or bad, folks?
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

Jeff Goldblum is a hoot in that movie, even though he's basically just being Jeff Goldblum the whole time.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.

The sheer number of Simpsons games is intimidating. (I still remember reading about Bart VS. The Space Mutants in Nintendo Power almost thirty years ago.) Almost never saw any of them at the store until the PS1 era, but that arcade game was everywhere.
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.