(Warning, I am improv the dialogue of this game because I wanted to give a little story behind Agnes' life - no doubt KI makes a beautiful backstory for your characters, but I wanted to add a lit zip. Also, there are fewer screenshots in this update than the last due to me having walls of improv dialogue.)
Jonah Town was built on top of a whale and one had to keep feeding the whale to keep it happy and not cause it to throw off the buildings built on top of it. It was here that the Frogfather, who knew where Ratbeard had fled to, was living, and Captain Ahab knew where he was.
We did do a few jobs on the side, like taking down more vicious Cutthroats, but we got to the Vortex in due time...
Only to find the fellow's ship stranded in the eye of the storm and him being assaulted by deadly Sky Sharks - not Cutthoats but ACTUAL sharks who were seeking to feast on pelican. We got him off of the crumbling raft and back to Jonah Town.
However, Ahab told us that his nephew Norville had not come back from Rapa Nui, a water mole settlement which traded with them. We headed out there and helped a Water Mole fix up a elixir to cure stomach troubles caused by eating chowder that the fisherbirds brought to them. Yeah, I would have to tell Captain Ahab to not bring food to the Water Moles that didn't work well with their digestion... then again, what DO Water Moles eat? Are they herbivores?
Not likely as Chief Omurtu asked us to collect Flying Fish for their next feast, which we did without complaint. He directed us to his nephew, who told us that the pelican had been taken somewhere by dogs and flailing about and screaming. "He must have been happy," said the young Water Mole.
I refrained from making a gesture near my ear and rolling my eyes. He was young and probably hadn't seen the poor boy's face. A rescue mission was in order.
But not before I upgraded my gear - the Bazaar had some really decent clothing. I was feeling more and more like a pirate every day, especially when I late found a jade eye-patch - it was magical so I could see through it.
(The eyepatch was the only item from the Tribal Packs I had spent 2000 Crowns on... and...)
I also found a messenger who gave me a present from the Aztecosaurs for all my help - a green young anklyosaur which was fitted with a saddle. I felt special and mounted it at once.
(Yay! Got a permanent mount after three packs! I love mounts. Sadly, I didn't know about the mounts in the packs until I got to Flotsam, which is where this picture is taken, so it's a bit of a spoiler.)
Thank to the help of Blind Mew - man, I am getting in debt to him now! - we found the crooks who kidnapped Norville and beat them into bloody submission. There was a hamster warrior who wielded a wicked polearm, but we took him out as quickly as we did the other foes.
Norville thanked us - he was taking the usual payment to the Frogfather and my suspicions were confirmed when I confronted Captain Ahab about it; the people of the town paid up income to the Frogfather and he made sure that the slimy brigands of the seas never attacked Jonah Town.
"Let me see him," I said. "I have business with him."
Before I was taken down to see the Frogfather, I got a postcard from a carrier pidgeon. It was from Monquista, the monkey empire - they wanted my pet to visit their training facilities. Admiral Harry had gotten much trainer during my quests that he was even stronger than our crew.
(Yep, unlocked the second set of training exercises for the pet! You get this blurb every time you unlock a new set of exercises - the Monquista ones unlock when your pet hits Level 15, and considering that every stat training exercise gives them a level, it shouldn't take too long. I got my Musketeer's ostrich to Level 15 before he completed the second of the dead rats' requests! Agnes actually got the postcard right after we rescued Norville as she had been training him constantly.)
The Frogfather lived in a slum town which was situated in the stomach of the whale, it was aptly named Gullet. I covered my mouth to avoid retching from the fumes of digesting fish below. It made sense that the scum of Jonah Town lived in this stinky place.
We had a bit of a problem with Rocco the door-man as the first person who we asked about the Frogfather gave us a false password. Figures. We subdued them and Rocco gave us the right password, which we gave to the hulking crab guards. (I knew those guys were guarding the actual place but I was humoring our greeter. :p)
The Frogfather was indeed a mob boss who dealt with people in his own way.
"I am here to learn the location of one called Ratbeard," I said with narrowed eyes. "I have business with him that deals with certain situations."
"I see, you seek information on Ratbeard," said the Frogfather, taking a puff on his cigar. "Unfortunately, it is not that easy to obtain. My conseirge here will explain."
The grimy frogman who stood by him scratched his foot. "It is said in the Book of Favors that favors shall not be given, only exchanged. An eye for an eye, as the Eagles in Aquila would say."
"So, you see the situation here, Pirate," said the Frogfather. "You want information on Ratbeard, I want the cache of spices that are being stored in the Presidio."
I inhaled sharply. The Presidio - my parents warned me that stealing from there was a dangerous feat - it was a Monquistian fort situated to keep an eye on the rogues of Skull Island and also held cargo for various Monquistian nobles to be picked up. "That is a tall order, but I guess this is an offer I cannot refuse. Very well, Frogfather, you have a deal, just make sure not to double-cross me."
The Frogfather nodded and smiled. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Seabottom."
I was stunned. How did he know my true name? He held up a hand. "I am afraid that information is not for you to know just yet. Suffice it to say that if you do this favor for me I will explain why I know your last name."
Luckily for me, the others had waited outside. I told them what we were doing and then we headed off... after taking a few inquiries from some of the unsavory members of this slum. We put them on the back burner and hurried to the fort. We had to silence a patrol who had stumbled into us as we were climbing down the outside wall, but the little primates were not too difficult to handle.
(My apologies for screenshots for the rest of this update and the next one - I accidentally made the toolbar visible and didn't know how to hide it. :( )
We reached the store-room only to find the spices locked up tight... and before we could do anything we alerted another patrol who couldn't be silenced fast enough.
The guards flood the courtyard and attacked us. "You unattractive pirate!" said their leader.
That was a mistake. Even though I wasn't a bombshell, I had my pride! Their blood splattered all over the walls of the fort by the time I was through. (I didn't kill them though, left them bleeding and in a coma. I wasn't going to murder solely out of rage.)
We entered the barracks where we were sure the key would be... but someone shouted from a jail cell nearby. "You there!" he cried in a Spanish accent. "Please help me!"
"Be careful, Captain," said Subodai. "It could be a trap!"
"I doubt it," I mused. "The monkeys aren't smart enough to lock one of their own in as a trap."
Inside was a hamster who reminded me of the one that attacked us in the sewers when we were saving Norville, but he was dressed in different colors and didn't see hostile. "My name is Agnes..."
He gasped. "Wait, that face! Agnes Seabottom?"
"You too?" I asked.
"You must have someone else in mind," said Sarah. "Our Captain is named Agnes but her name is Agnes Thatc---"
"I knew your parents!" said the hamster.
"My parents never mentioned you," I said.
"I understand, but I have sailed with them since when they were wed!" he said, brushing his mustache. He bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gaspard De Vole, buccaneer of the Starlight Amber."
I gasped. "That... that was my parent's boat! The one they did their trading in..."
"Oh ho, I see they did not tell you about their true trade," he laughed. "Ah, if they saw you now following their footsteps, they would be so proud!"
My heart skipped a beat. "They were... pirates?" I took a deep breath.
"Are you okay, Captain?" asked Bonnie, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"It... it's okay," I sighed, holding my chest. "I can... understand why they never told me... that they were pirates."
"Smugglers actually," said Gaspard. "We sailed together delivering cargo from Valencia to Avalon without getting caught... until that fateful day when the Armada ambushed us..." He shook his head sadly. "I saw your parents perish, Agnes, and the last words your mother told me was to find and serve you as I had served them." He wiped a tear from his eye and then stamped his halberd into the stone floor. "Please, release me and I'll gladly repay you with my services!"
I was taken aback, but I had learned over the years to steel myself against shocking news and wasn't going to let this slow me down. "Okay, we were looking for the key to the storerooms anyways."
"Ah, you can find both keys on a ring of keys the general of this fort has on his person at all times," said Gaspard. "His office is upstairs."
"Ugh," muttered Fan. "Looks like we're gonna have to get it from him by force!"
"You never said that your name was..." began Bonnie.
I waved my hand. "I was named after my grandmother. It's a long story and I'll tell you all about my father and how he came to the Spiral someday, but not in the middle of our business here." Everyone nodded in silent agreement to not pursue the matter.
(Remember that question Agnes answered Boochbeard about how she lost her parents? Well, that question determines what sort of companion you get here. Killed by the Armada gets this guy, getting eaten by a Sky Squid gets you Dead Mike, a zombie sailor, and there are three others which I haven't seen as of yet - I'll see the one you get for saying your folks got lost at sea.)
We stormed the office of El Nebuloso and beat him silly, swiping the keys from him. Then we freed Gaspard and he joined us briefly as we went back into the storerooms... only to find that El Nebuloso had put more guards there to ensure the safety of the spices.
However, I was surprised when Gaspard aided us in battle. "What..."
"I made a vow to your mother I would serve you as I did her," said Gaspard as he took down the last guard with a flying sweep of his mighty halberd. "I keep my vows."
I smiled. "Thank you," I whispered.
We unlocked the gate, bagged all the spices, and found a grate under them. Gaspard told us that it was a tunnel leading outside. I decided we would use it before the monkeys healed their wounds and sent out an alarm to trap us in the fort.
Gaspard disappeared but we found him in the Frogfather's house and the Frogfather nodded and smiled. "I see the resemblance - your parents told me much about you; we did business in the past."
Then it was true, my folks had been smugglers. I sighed and shook my head, smiling at the irony of the whole thing. Gaspard asked to join my crew in honor of my parents' memory, and the vow he made to my mom. I nodded. "Yes, you may join our crew, I have so many questions..."
"Ahem," coughed the Frogfather. "As much as I hate to break us this tearful reunion, we have business to attend to."
"Yes, of course," I murmured. "Ratbeard."
"Yes," said the Frogfather, taking a whiff of his cigar. "You wish to know where Ratbeard is hiding, yes? I have information on that I could give you... however, that I cannot do." I touched my dagger. "Before you do anything rash, I must explain. I promised Ratbeard I wouldn't betray his location to anyone who was looking for him."
"Probably bribed you big to get that protection," grumbled Fan.
"However..." The Frogfather nodded to this sidekick.
"The Book of Favors says," said the frog toadie as he scratched his back with his gun. "That a favor of one person can be transferred to another and thus the favor of the former owner of the favor would be annulled by the accepting of the other favor."
"Did you get that?" murmured Bonnie Anne. "Because I sure didn't."
I got a cold look. "Someone else knows where Ratbeard's holed up, right?"
"Correct," said the Frogfather. "There is a rabbit called One-Eyed Jack who lives in Flotsam, just beyond the Blood Shoals. He owes me a favor and so I give you his favor and thus annul the favor I owe you. Therefore you get your information, my trust with Ratbeard is not compromised, we all end up satisfied, am I right?" He took another puff of his cigar.
I covered my mouth to avoid choking on the fumes, then nodded. "Very well, I'll look into this One-Eyed Jack and tell him he owes me instead of you."
"Nice doing business with you," said the Frogfather.
"Yeah, I'm outtie," I said turning to leave.
"Hold up."
I turned back. "What now?"
"Your parents had a little gift they were going to give you," said the Frogfather. "Well, I put two and two together - they had a private dock here with a ship in it and they were talking about giving you something special when you were old enough to sail."
"Is that okay?" I asked in shock.
"Consider it a repayment of the favor I owe them," said the boss, smirking. "Good day, Ms. Seabottom."
"Please, call me Agnes," I said.
Sure enough, there was a beautiful ship. "Ah, the Rainbow Amber," stated Gaspard as I bottled it up. "Your parents showed it to me once, saying they were going to give it to their daughter when she became a sailor. It's not the prettiest ship, but they kept it in fine sailing condition."
I laughed. At long last I could sink that raft Avery gave me - it was a fine raft but it was a joke Avery threw at me and I didn't appreciate it. I'm sure Captain Avery didn't mind when I sailed back into his docks with this fine vessel instead of that piece of rowboard. ^_^
"Mom, dad, thank you," I whispered. "Now to find One-Eyed Jack and begin my plans to be the best pirate ever, so they remain proud of me."
{To be continued...}
No comments:
Post a Comment