Might and Magic 3 (Ch. 7)

Ongoing blog of Might and Magic 3: Isles of Terra

Chapter 7 - Wildabar

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With the ninja clan's "welcoming committee" dispersed from the main square we were able to take in an antidote at the temple Bloodroot for all the poisons we had picked up from the various stings and bites of the giant insects outside. And then it was straight to the alehouse to gather the local news.

The local specialty was Mantis Mush -- a kind of gruel that looked absolutely repulsive with its chunks of insect meat and mysterious spices. Surprisingly, it was slightly more palatable than the goblin slop we had been carrying since Baywatch.

Ever-looking for more promising people to join the ranks of our little crew, I spied a nimble and uncouth gnomish barbarian engaged in a drinking contest with some other stumbling drunks. She had just finished beating them all.

"That's not bad, Gnome. But can you handle a pike as well as your mug?" I laid my challenge to her.

*bra-a-a-ap* the gnome belched loudly in response and jammed the mug--with her fist still wrapped around the handle into my ribs. It hurt more than a little but I succeeded in not wincing.

"Wanna try me, Orc-breath?! I can -spill- more than you've probably ever drunk!"

I was impressed with the strength and agility that her small body hid. It is an unusual profession, for one of the smaller races to become a barbarian skilled in the wild frenzies of combat. The fact that she was still alive spoke volumes to me--it said that this gnome tried harder than the rest to get where she was today.

"Well, that much is true enough!" I said, stepping around opposite her and shoving the comatose drunk from his chair so that I could take his place.

"Looking at the table and floor around you -- it looks like -YOUVE- spilled more than you've drunk!"

The firebrand pounded a gloved fist on the tabletop, "Harrgh! Damned cleric! By thy holy symbols I know that -ye- have never met a drink ye didn't like, eh? Fine then -- name thy rules!"

My other allies came and filled in the other seats around us as the barkeep began serving drinks.

"I'm looking for someone...," I started.

"--Not interested!" the gnome belched.

"Treasures beyond all imagination..." I tried another angle.

"Screw you! I've no use for it. Anything I want -- I just -take-!"

She reminded me of Volkmeir and I when we first left our mother's house. Wild and free and capable of depraved cruelty. I knew immediately then how I would win her to our side.

"Bloodshed greater than your wildest dreams...." I leaned in and spoke softly. For sometimes the trick to speaking directly into a person's rapt attention is not to speak louder--but to speak smaller and with more careful measure. It worked. The moment she leaned in with manic curiosity was the moment I knew I'd found my mark.

"This is no world of civilized law! No--my friend. You need not look even further than these very walls to see how the Wildabar ninja have taken this city by force and made it their own! You need not look even further than outside to see the wild beasts and marauding horrors that spill over across the land! We shall plunge through -all- of it in search of what we seek..."

I indicated Lydia on my left, "Some of us--for treasure."

I indicated Stella on my right, "Some for the honor of gratitude."

I stuck a finger in her chest, "Some for the thrill of battle that scarce ends..for when do we not feel most alive than in the terror of joined and bloody combat?"

"Aye..." I seemed to have gotten the gnome curious, "And what about you, Orc-breath? What do you seek?"

"I'm looking for someone. That's all. A stranger from another world...I believe he may be in one of the pyramids."

"Feh. There's nary a way into those old tombs. 'least no way that's been found."

"We will -find- a way, even though the path may be long and violent."

"Then -drink- with me, pups!" the gnome bellowed, "Drink with me and show me what kind of warriors ye be, that I may decide to stand by ya! Err--you're buying, of course?"

With that, we let the gold flow freely into the tavern's coffers as the ale came just as quick. I wasn't quite sure what the barbarian hoped to learn from us in our excess indulgence--but her endurance was legendary.

I came to hours later, in the cheapest room available for rent at the local gatehouse. Stella, Lydia, and myself sprawled all about the room in various states of stupor. Alongside me, the barbarian was there too. With horror--I made a quick inventory of myself and realized all my belongings were still there. And with greater relief--realized that I was still fully dressed.

"Har!" The barbarian laughed lightly--clutching her head with some soreness as the ale was still working its way out of our systems,  "You drank pretty good, cleric. If you remember any of it that is. Don't worry. I brought your sorry lot with me out of there before we embarrassed ourselves too much." she snorted.

"Thanks, friend. What's your name, anyway?" I asked--too weakened to properly remember if I had learned it or not the previous night.

"'s Knell. Just Knell. Named after me clanmates' motto;  "By your sword and pike, you rule. By your sword and pike, let your fury ring the final knell."

"Well...Knell, we'd better rest and get our strength back. Tomorrow, we're cleaning up this city the only way we know how...with might and magic."

Barbarians as a class were introduced in MM2 but I didn't use one in that game. Barbarians are melee classes that can use most weapons but only wear scale armor or lighter, which limits their armor choices a lot. They make up for this by gaining hit points and extra attacks even faster than Knights, making them truly incredible powerhouses by the endgame provided you keep their endurance high and give them good weapons.

 Part of the city had been divided and walled off. This so-called "dark way" was sequestered by the Wildabar ninja as a kind of solution to the dwarven problem. At least according to Corak's notes.

After King Chaotic hired all the able-bodied dwarves to serve in his army, all the infirm or senile ones were left behind and were wreaking havoc on the place.

They definitely weren't pleased to see us come bashing into their prison--that's for sure. I had hoped they would break away to take their vengeance on the ninja but in their wild state they were far too eager to attack us instead. They put up a much fiercer fight than the skeletons in Baywatch, but between the four of us we dispatched them and then raided their goods for treasure.

Hrmm--it seemed that Tumult, the King Chaotic--was -also -seeking Ultimate Power Orbs. It seemed that the uneasy stalemate that had been reached in the War of Alignments was proving difficult to undo and the kings were seeking an edge.

Shoaman the necromancer was an adept in the darker arts of evil magic--and the local Falcon's guild somewhat reluctantly continued to aid and have him as a member. Perhaps because of the exorbitant fees we was able to collect from new pledges. 1000 gold was a hefty step up from the dues we paid for our Raven and Albatross guild cards.

It was worth it, though. At the Falcon's Guild library I -finally- found a prayer book detailing the rituals to cure both poison and disease. With this in my possession we wouldn't have to turn back to the temples as often for every little poisonous vermin who got in a lucky bite.

Like the other cities, a mirror teleportal was tucked away here at one end of the square. The phrase "Freeman" could bring us back to Wildabar from any of the other portals.

At last we stumbled our way into the ninja clan headquarters--where apparently they had been engaged in a conference about what to do with the latest 'intruders'! We situated ourselves near the narrower doorway, where my companions could lob arrows at them and draw them in to melee in small groups at a time like cattle to the slaughter!

The local clan leader was a sturdier, much stronger 'Sonic Ninja', who used different breathing and warcry techniques to strengthen his attacks. He was a mighty adversary and we did well to not underestimate him. Our blessings from the Bloodroot temple helped give us the edge in sending he and his clan of rogue troublemakers back to the abyss.

Not far from the meeting hall, we found Brother Gamma, the latest in the line of monks we had been speaking to.

"The name of the island where Blackwind's shells are hidden is called Rainbow Island--but regrettably I know little else on the matter. However--my brother Delta I believe may be able to give you more information on the subject. Shall I tell him to expect you?"

I recoiled at the thought of having to track down yet -another- brother to finish gathering clues about these artifacts. Nonetheless, we acquiesced. Brother Gamma retrieved from somewhere in his office a small gray barrel-mouse, who sat up calmly in his hands while Gamma whispered delicately into its ears. Setting the rodent down, the mouse scurried away through a crack in the wall to places unknown.

"I have sent word to my brother Delta to expect you. Due to a slight....misunderstanding, with the local ninja clan he has taken refuge in the prison below this city. That is all I can do for you friends. Good luck."

As we made to leave though, a sudden "Oh!" escaped the monk.

"By the way, as long as you're here...you should take this."

I knew what was coming even before Gamma placed the object in my hands. It was another Quatloo Coin.

"Thanks....," I mouthed. "I'll try to put it to good use." I lied--as I threw it into my pouch with the other quatloos.

Corak's notes mentioned that the evil witches of the Cursed Cold Cavern far to the north had an agreement with Wildabar to oversee the prisoners kept underground. In return--they used the place as a kind of workshop to produce more of their magical brew and occasionally smuggled prisoners back to the north to use as sacrifices.

These Phase Heads seemed to act as sort of conjured proctors who merely roamed the halls to make sure nobody had escaped their cells. Knell had fun jabbing at their insubstantial frames with her pike and sending them dispersed in a cloud of dust, such was their weakness.

Most of the prisoners locked away down here were wild ogres. Large and strong creatures that posed slightly more of a danger than the mad dwarves that were living in the city. Those ogres that hadn't been slain or captured had made their way north and become vassals of King Malicious.

There were other treasures, barely visible, locked away in some of the other cells too.

Scattered through each 'wing' of the prison was a release lever, engraved with warnings to not let the ogres go free. But we were not afraid. Pulling the lever would open up all the doors in each wing, letting us finish our search of this dank place.

The ogres of course, were not interested in making friends. In addition to them--spiked pitfall traps had opened up in response to the lever too, ouch!

Ah! Casks of witches brew were locked away in some of the cells, too. Some of the batches were not yet finished mellowing and only burned like acid when touched or drunken.

Others that were more finished filled us with heightened power in various ways. Muscles surged stronger--endurance lasted longer--minds were expanded, and fortune smiled upon us. We just did not ask, nor did we care to find out--what all had gone into the ingredients.

The Wicked Witch who served as the warden didn't appreciate us intruding on her territory. Alone, she was not a drastic threat and teleported away after a short exchange with us. However--she -had- managed to zap us with her magic spell...








(I didn't get a good screenshot of it, but the witch actually cursed all my character's inventory. Not -them-, just the inventory. Cursed weapons always do minimum damage. Cursed armor doesn't mitigate damage. It is uncursed the same way as uncursing a character--by going to the temple and paying through the nose for it.)

In two of the cells we discovered the neutral ranger Lone Wolf and her friend, the evil ninja Wartowsan. Both had been captured by the Wildabar ninja clan and sent here for their various crimes, both perceived and real. 

They would take up shelter at the local gate house and hire their services to us if we desired. But I had no use for a ninja and Stella was the only ranger we needed.

Hiding in an empty barrel of witches' brew, we at last found Brother Delta, who was crouched inside holding Gamma's pet mouse. He looked up at us on our intrusion and spake...

"My little friend here told me you would be coming...I -do- know of the place you seek..."

"The isle in question is called Rainbow Isle, and it lies just south off the coast from Blackwind's own castle. However--that is not the end of the mystery. For Blackwind was a covetous and powerful spellbinder, and he worked a kind of portal on Rainbow Isle such that it would only dispense a single shell per year--on a special day. Regrettably--I do not know which day that is..."

I felt a groan stirring within me as the monk took a breath. I knew what was coming.

"My brother Zeta...,"

I groaned.

"Ahem. My brother Zeta I believe knows the last piece of the puzzle. Shall I tell him to expect you?"

"Yes, yes--get on with it!"

Delta cupped a small white salamander in his hands and whispered closely to it. Whereupon the salamander crawled from his hands and disappeared through a trickle of water coming from one of the nearby walls.

"There is a thin, underground stream that connects this prison to the Arachnoid Cavern just to the west. My brother Zeta makes his home there--where he studies the crystal formations. Best of luck to you, friends. Now leave me to my hiding."

Delta scooped the lid of the barrel off of the floor and replaced it back over his head. I thought about telling him that we had broken up the ninja clan controlling Wildabar but thought it best perhaps if I let him figure it out himself. We didn't leave just yet though. It took a few moments of standing around, but then finally...

"Oh!" came a muffled voice from the barrel.

We added another Quatloo Coin to our collection.