Darkest Dungeon: The Tragic Extent

Reports from Darkest Dungeon - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

My concerns of any leadership challenges have been abated this week with the death of Lenigrast. He was laid low by a small pig man named Wilbur who everyone assumed he had previously slain. They could not recover his body, no doubt he is now food for those hideous creatures. God rest his soul. We also lost Bill and the spy Mina Petrova who fell (or rather, had crushing debris fall on them) while hunting a fulminating prophet in the ruins.

They're always filled with disgusting bile.

Fortunately their allies Hunter O'Harrah and Don Pez managed to find victory thanks to their sacrifice. They then had a much better run when hunting another hag in the weald with Alpha, a soldier from another time, and the cats Alvinia and Shalquoir. Apparently the old crone was no match for them at all.

Soon after Lenigrast was avenged by Melisandre, Don Pez, Ian and Da Qiao, a young vestal who can't be older than her teens. Despite Ian getting hacked in two, they defeated the Swine King in the warrens, and Wilbur as well - though after the battle they claim the little pig was nowhere to be found. I have a feeling this isn't the last we've seen of him. Da Qiao also accompanied the barbarian Zhurong, Techno Viking and the shaman Katunga to slay an Unstable Flesh afterwards. This girl shows much promise.

-Abbess Feeva

Darkest Dungeon: Slowly, Softly

Reports from Darkest Dungeon - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

Fawadin is dead, having taken an octocestus to the face. There was some dispute if the loud, ex-blacksmith Lenigrast would be taking the reigns but as of now I am in charge and have appointed my battle sisters Catharina and Elizabeth (who disguises herself well, for a mushroom) as my proxies to handle any unrest.

My old ally Vengarl also is no longer among us. He and the hellion Nerelia were taken by mutated fungus men in the Weald. This was right after he, Don Pez, Bill and Hunter O'Harrah destroyed the shapeshifting incholate flesh in the warrens. Also lost are Ingward and Thanaros, having been devoured by a monstrous shambler that Blunder Buss inadvertently summoned while putting a torch too close to a strange red orb in the ruins.

"Surprised!" is an understatement!

We had other victories too, as Catharina, Lenigrast and Mogg destroyed a brigand 8 pounder cannon in the forest as well as another undead sunken crew at the cove. The bounty hunter Redbeard as well as Alvinia and Shalquoir (who I am told are magical cats) assisted in these endeavors. Slowly but surely we are cleansing this land of all evils lurking within.

-Abbess Feeva

Darkest Dungeon: Chain of Command

Reports from Darkest Dungeon - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

More welcome aid keeps arriving in town, the last batch being strangers from another time. I can only hope this rumor of people questioning my leadership doesn't distract people from our goal here. If anything I'd make Abbess Feeva my second, having seen her in action personally.

Her arrival was fortuitous as one of our other healers, Myria, was recently decapitated by a head collector - a death so gruesome that it supposedly gave Sellsword Luet a fatal heart attack upon witnessing it. With her healing, Gough, Redbeard and I managed to finally take down the (non-apprentice) necromancer in the ruins.

She then accompanied Bill, Vengarl and Hunter O'Harrah to slay the sodden crew - a group of drowned pirates in the Cove. She also was crucial in helping MoGG, Mina Petrova and Sunbro Forever in slaying the Alluring Siren in that same, sahaughin infested vista. Alas Hawkeye Gough fell victim to these fish folk while scouting the way to the siren. His archery skills will be missed.

A team that is chained and drowned together, stays together.

-Fawadin

Dark Souls III: A World without Fire

Tales from Dark Souls - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

Beyond the daddy dragon was a tomb with a single snakeman who was easily killed. I learned the "path of the dragon" gesture on a corpse just passed him and had a pretty good idea where to try it too (since the corpses there were also in the same pose). The crypt gives way to a dark version of the starting graveyard zone. Only this one has no fire and is guarded by grave wardens and the invader Daughter of Crystal Kreimhild (I assume that's the Crystal Sage from before). She isn't too challenging as I just kick her off a cliff.

Rematch, Mr. Spear Guy?

The spear statue boss in this dark world is much stronger too, but fortunately I have both Bill the swordmaster and Agnon Rhyat (sunbro player) to assist - finally a coop player can enter the boss fog! Agnon falls in battle, but it is enough for me to learn the boss' moves and earn a victory. Thanks Agnon! In the dark version of Firelink shrine I also find eyes of a Firekeeper, and the sole inhabitant - the creepy hag lady - is here telling me to leave before the darkness takes me. Good suggestion.

I warp back to the regular Firelink Shrine and give the eyes to my regular Firekeeper. She says that it's forbidden but plugs them in anyway, then asks if I wish for a world without fire. Having seen exactly what "a world without fire" is I say no. This upsets her, and she asks that I slay her so that I can take the eyes away from her. Again I have to refuse her request and leave her to get used to seeing the world as it is.

That's got to be a safety issue...

PS. My graphics card finally surrendered and lowered the visuals so I could play without crashing. The quality of the screenies will suffer a bit as a result! :P

Dark Souls III: The Circus is in Town

Tales from Dark Souls - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

With the deep axe, slow and steady progress led me to another bonfire and the unlocking of shortcuts back to earlier bonfires. I even find a prisoner caged in one tower but with no key I decide to come back some other time. In a cathedral guarded by knights (who I'm getting more efficient at killing now) I meet the elderly priestess Emma who offers me to join the Way of the Blue covenant. Since it helped me out last time I jump at the opportunity! Newbie guild for me! :)

It was then time for a rematch against Battle Cat, but this time I used an ember (the replacement of humanity here) to power up and to summon the katana guy from before. I'll call him Bill. Apparently kicking each other off a cliff was enough to become friends! He-man's steed has no match against the two of us, and Bill waves farewell as I go ahead and wave a little flag Emma had given me to summon transport to bring me to the undead settlement: demon transport.

These guys again!

Here I find the regular hollows being fed to some hounds by some sadistic villagers. I also find a pilgrim named Yoel who offers his sorcery services to me. Sure! The more friends the better! He warps out to Firelink shrine, while I continue into the rather large village full of psychos armed with pitchforks and butcher knives who enjoy stringing up their victims. Also among their number are fat, bearded sorceresses, and midget assassins. Oh and some caged victims have melded into ridiculous, multi-legged monsters. It certainly feels like I walked into a circus.

A circus that needs to be purified with fire.

Dark Souls III: And my axe!

Tales from Dark Souls - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

Outside Firelink Shrine I found a half naked guy wielding a katana, and he manages to kill me off a cliff! I return immediately and return the favor. Unfortunately the door he guards is locked (man I miss the master key), so I have no choice but to use the shrine bonfire to warp myself up to the High Wall of Lothric. It's beautiful. And full of undead. The dead dragons on the parapet are a cool touch too... until I come across a live fire breathing one - followed by dangerous knights.

I'll get up there... much later.

In typical Joe fashion, I decided to try sprint past them, because whatever was beyond would be easier right? Lol. After a crazy run across rooftops and courtyards reached some giant doors and encountered... Battle cat! To no ones surprise, the creature tore me to ribbons (though I was surprised I got it to 50% health). Having not found a further bonfire I opted to do the grinding then, especially since I had a handy dragon to help me farm souls. He didn't really care what he was setting alight.

Couldn't get the dragon to torch battle cat. :(

First 20k went to the hag, for a key to the Firekeeper tower right behind the shrine. It took me awhile to actually find he damn thing, but I netted a useful Estus shard, silver cat ring (more souls per kill) and Estus ring (more HP per estus) from what turned out to be a crypt for dead firekeepers (and there were a lot). The grind then continued in the same spot, to level me up a bit, until I could actually sprint to the tower the dragon was sitting on top of. There I found a mimic which I masterfully slew (no damage), partially because it was like the Dark Souls "humanoid" type and not the Dark Souls II "silent hill" type. :P

Most importantly it dropped a really cool weapon: a deep axe, which more than doubled my current damage output. After successfully slaying the first "dangerous" knight with it, I knew right away that I could finally advance.