Summary: Gessho’s possible betrayal. Undead Admiral Luzaf vs. monstrous Imperial tactics. The Dark Rider. Empress Nashmeira uncloaked.
Mission: Puppet in Peril (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I pursue Gessho through Mamook, the city of the lizardy Mamool Ja beastmen, eventually reaching an area called the Jade Sepulcher.
-Rishfee the Immortal, Aphmau, Mnejing and I creep up. We overhear some beastmen.
“Doubt, there is not. For what we have long searched, it must be.”
-I like how diverse the Mamool Ja are. Some are like fish, others like lizards, others like iguanas. My favorite is the two-headed Autarch Gulool Jaja.
-The Mamool Ja have Ovjang. They think she’s a threat and want to disassemble her, but Gessho says that Ovjang is nothing more than the first automaton of the previous emperor, Jalzahn.
-Gessho says the Empire, led by Ghatsad (who we met), is investigating the Ruins of Alzadaal. To resurrect some iron colossus of legend.
MOLAAL JA: “The iron colossus consumed Aradjiah in flames!” Aphmau seems to think the colossus will bring about peace, but I trust the beastman on this. Someone is playing Aphmau. And I think it’s Grand Vizier Razfahd.
GESSHO: “On the dawn of our agreement, we will unleash our fury upon the Empire – the Mamool Ja hordes from the west, and my fellow warriors from the east… And once we have seized control of the Empire, we have only to stop this iron engine of destruction beyond repair to guarantee our total victory.
“I swear to you by the heavens and the earth, I shall not play you false. And if my nation’s oath should be broken, I will present myself before you and fall upon my sword.”
Jesus. I fell for it. Unless Gessho has some triple-agent shenanigans going on, he is against Aht Urhgan.
-The overlords of Mamool Ja smell us. We emerge from hiding, and Gessho FREAKS THE FUCK OUT.
“I am not the Gessho you know!” Huh? He vanishes.
-Most of the overlords leave, but one, Lancelord Gaheel Ja hops on a huge dinosaur creature and charges us. Rishfee takes a brutal wound.
-I join the fight and Gaheel Ja goes down.
-Aphmau is climbing a ledge to reach Mnejing… and at the last second, that imp, Flit, becomes visible and snatches Mnejing. STOP TAKING APHMAU’S PUPPETS YOU ASSHOLE.
-Then Admiral Luzaf himself appears and grabs Ovjang. Seriously, what’s the big deal? Why does everyone want these puppets?
-Luzaf and Flit disappears into a portal, taking the puppets with them.
-AND APHMAU JUMPS INTO THE PORTAL AFTER THEM HOLY SHIT
-We have no time to ponder this. An army of hundreds of Mamool Ja soldiers stampedes towards us, and Rishfee is too wounded to escape. We leave, and he stays behind to distract them, hold them off.
RISHFEE: “Wolf Four to the Lion… Wolf Four to the Lion… The Gold has been taken.” He’s communicating that Aphmau is gone. Grand Vizier Razfahd must be the Lion he’s communicating with.
-The Mamool Ja soldiers arrive. They surround Rishfee.
Thanks, Rishfee.
Mission: Puppet in Peril (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I pursue Gessho through Mamook, the city of the lizardy Mamool Ja beastmen, eventually reaching an area called the Jade Sepulcher.
-Rishfee the Immortal, Aphmau, Mnejing and I creep up. We overhear some beastmen.
“Doubt, there is not. For what we have long searched, it must be.”
-I like how diverse the Mamool Ja are. Some are like fish, others like lizards, others like iguanas. My favorite is the two-headed Autarch Gulool Jaja.
-The Mamool Ja have Ovjang. They think she’s a threat and want to disassemble her, but Gessho says that Ovjang is nothing more than the first automaton of the previous emperor, Jalzahn.
-Gessho says the Empire, led by Ghatsad (who we met), is investigating the Ruins of Alzadaal. To resurrect some iron colossus of legend.
MOLAAL JA: “The iron colossus consumed Aradjiah in flames!” Aphmau seems to think the colossus will bring about peace, but I trust the beastman on this. Someone is playing Aphmau. And I think it’s Grand Vizier Razfahd.
GESSHO: “On the dawn of our agreement, we will unleash our fury upon the Empire – the Mamool Ja hordes from the west, and my fellow warriors from the east… And once we have seized control of the Empire, we have only to stop this iron engine of destruction beyond repair to guarantee our total victory.
“I swear to you by the heavens and the earth, I shall not play you false. And if my nation’s oath should be broken, I will present myself before you and fall upon my sword.”
Jesus. I fell for it. Unless Gessho has some triple-agent shenanigans going on, he is against Aht Urhgan.
-The overlords of Mamool Ja smell us. We emerge from hiding, and Gessho FREAKS THE FUCK OUT.
“I am not the Gessho you know!” Huh? He vanishes.
-Most of the overlords leave, but one, Lancelord Gaheel Ja hops on a huge dinosaur creature and charges us. Rishfee takes a brutal wound.
-I join the fight and Gaheel Ja goes down.
-Aphmau is climbing a ledge to reach Mnejing… and at the last second, that imp, Flit, becomes visible and snatches Mnejing. STOP TAKING APHMAU’S PUPPETS YOU ASSHOLE.
-Then Admiral Luzaf himself appears and grabs Ovjang. Seriously, what’s the big deal? Why does everyone want these puppets?
-Luzaf and Flit disappears into a portal, taking the puppets with them.
-AND APHMAU JUMPS INTO THE PORTAL AFTER THEM HOLY SHIT
-We have no time to ponder this. An army of hundreds of Mamool Ja soldiers stampedes towards us, and Rishfee is too wounded to escape. We leave, and he stays behind to distract them, hold them off.
RISHFEE: “Wolf Four to the Lion… Wolf Four to the Lion… The Gold has been taken.” He’s communicating that Aphmau is gone. Grand Vizier Razfahd must be the Lion he’s communicating with.
-The Mamool Ja soldiers arrive. They surround Rishfee.
Thanks, Rishfee.
---
Mission: Prevalence of Pirates (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I head back to Arrapago Reef and get a cutscene on the ghost ship.
-lololol Ovjang and Aphmau are singing happily for ghost ship prisoners
“Sailing, sailing without a care!” “This ship can take us anywhere!” “Da-dum pa-rum pa-rum! Tra-la, la-la-la!”
-Mnejing is a bit grump – being captured and all – but Aphmau is so happy to be on a ghost ship. They think it’s AWESOME and I continue to love them both.
-The trio look at the painting of the Dark Rider charging on the burning city.
-OH SHIT!! I misinterpreted the painting. It’s not just a burning city. The white castle towering above it isn’t part of the city exactly. It’s an iron giant.
Three possibilities:
1)It’s Alexander, transformed from teapot form into a full-on giant
2)It’s the “colossus” that Aphmau and Grand Vizier Razfahd discussed
3)It’s both. Maybe they plan to use the Astral Candescences to summon Alexander as a full colossus.
-Aphmau says this is a picture of “Alzadaal and the Dark Rider.” The painting is the “Age of Judgment.”
-Admiral Luzaf enters. The painting’s scene occurred 900 years ago.
-Luzaf’s business concerns the two puppets but he won’t elaborate. In any case, he treats Aphmau and the puppets as guests with free rein, not prisoners.
-Back to me. Amnaf the Immortal appears by the docks.
-The ghost ship is long gone from here. Amnaf asks me to go to Periqia and hunt down the ship to save Aphmau “and honor Rishfee’s sacrifice.”
---
Mission: Shades of Vengeance (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I head to the caves of Periqia. There are about seven billion Lamia to deal with. I kill a few of them and get a cutscene of the ghost ship.
-The ship is heading to Periqia, where I am. It’s the home of the Ephramadian corsairs.
-Aphmau finds this all exciting.
LUZAF: “Exciting? You could be killed.”
APHMAU: “Just because they’re ghosts now, doesn’t mean they don’t remember their families and friends, right? They would have to be sad and lonely and suffering all the time, missing their loved ones. They probably repented their evil pirate ways and vowed to be good from now on.”
-She’s not just being naïve. The crew of the ghost ship she’s on has been kind to her.
-Luzaf hears a sound, and it freaks him out. “I will never forget that sound. Never forget the tears… the blood… the bones… of that day. Lamiae. That sound is the shriek of the whistle used by the Imperial Army to control their pet Lamiae.”
HOLY SHIT THE IMPERIALS SUCKED!! Lamiae are creatures that kill people and raise their corpses at attack dogs basically, and the Empire was using Lamiae as pets?
-The Lamiae are currently enemies of the Empire, but only the ones that broke free of Imperial control. 200 years ago, the Empire sent Lamiae into the corsair headquarters to extinguish the rebellion.
Mission: Prevalence of Pirates (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I head back to Arrapago Reef and get a cutscene on the ghost ship.
-lololol Ovjang and Aphmau are singing happily for ghost ship prisoners
“Sailing, sailing without a care!” “This ship can take us anywhere!” “Da-dum pa-rum pa-rum! Tra-la, la-la-la!”
-Mnejing is a bit grump – being captured and all – but Aphmau is so happy to be on a ghost ship. They think it’s AWESOME and I continue to love them both.
-The trio look at the painting of the Dark Rider charging on the burning city.
-OH SHIT!! I misinterpreted the painting. It’s not just a burning city. The white castle towering above it isn’t part of the city exactly. It’s an iron giant.
Three possibilities:
1)It’s Alexander, transformed from teapot form into a full-on giant
2)It’s the “colossus” that Aphmau and Grand Vizier Razfahd discussed
3)It’s both. Maybe they plan to use the Astral Candescences to summon Alexander as a full colossus.
-Aphmau says this is a picture of “Alzadaal and the Dark Rider.” The painting is the “Age of Judgment.”
-Admiral Luzaf enters. The painting’s scene occurred 900 years ago.
-Luzaf’s business concerns the two puppets but he won’t elaborate. In any case, he treats Aphmau and the puppets as guests with free rein, not prisoners.
-Back to me. Amnaf the Immortal appears by the docks.
-The ghost ship is long gone from here. Amnaf asks me to go to Periqia and hunt down the ship to save Aphmau “and honor Rishfee’s sacrifice.”
---
Mission: Shades of Vengeance (Treasures of Aht Urhgan)
-I head to the caves of Periqia. There are about seven billion Lamia to deal with. I kill a few of them and get a cutscene of the ghost ship.
-The ship is heading to Periqia, where I am. It’s the home of the Ephramadian corsairs.
-Aphmau finds this all exciting.
LUZAF: “Exciting? You could be killed.”
APHMAU: “Just because they’re ghosts now, doesn’t mean they don’t remember their families and friends, right? They would have to be sad and lonely and suffering all the time, missing their loved ones. They probably repented their evil pirate ways and vowed to be good from now on.”
-She’s not just being naïve. The crew of the ghost ship she’s on has been kind to her.
-Luzaf hears a sound, and it freaks him out. “I will never forget that sound. Never forget the tears… the blood… the bones… of that day. Lamiae. That sound is the shriek of the whistle used by the Imperial Army to control their pet Lamiae.”
HOLY SHIT THE IMPERIALS SUCKED!! Lamiae are creatures that kill people and raise their corpses at attack dogs basically, and the Empire was using Lamiae as pets?
-The Lamiae are currently enemies of the Empire, but only the ones that broke free of Imperial control. 200 years ago, the Empire sent Lamiae into the corsair headquarters to extinguish the rebellion.
-It gets worse. The Lamiae were artificially created. “Biological weapons,” Admiral Luzaf calls them.
-The Lamiae that attacked the Empire? Blunders. Those who escaped control. Luzaf says he can prove this to the skeptical Aphmau.
-The scene changes back to me. Grand Vizier Razfahd is here, and some of his soldiers are pipers, playing music that tames the Lamiae I was fighting. The Grand Vizier wants to use them to find Aphmau.
Admiral Luzaf was telling the truth.
-Luzaf, Aphmau, and the puppets observe this meeting from afar. Aphmau watches in horror as Grand Vizier Razfahd – her brother – sits there controlling the Lamiae.
-Aphmau still thinks this might be a misunderstanding. Her group approaches Razfahd.
-Razfahd starts to blame Luzaf as a kidnapper, but Aphmau stops him. “I followed him of my own free will!”
-She tears into Razfahd for working with the demonic Lamiae. Razfahd swears these are different, that these are helping their army. Allies to the people of Aradjiah.
LUZAF: “Your lies know no bounds… ‘Allies to the people of Aradjiah,’ you say? These vicious demonesses that feasted on the flesh of my still-living companions!?”
-Razfahd is on the defensive. He asks Aphmau to remember their father’s final words:
“We are the Emperor. The Emperor and Aht Urhgan are as one.” Basically, he wants Aphmau to believe it’s acceptable to take extreme measures to protect Aht Urhgan against its enemies.
APHMAU: “But those are not the only words he used. He also said, ‘A heavy hand is not needed to govern an empire. A gentle hand will guide the people.’” I love watching Aphmau challenge Razfahd here.
-Razfahd tries to weasel out of this with “A time will come when you will understand,” and NO FUCKING WAY. Aphmau’s wise to your patronizing bullshit.
APHMAU: “And you expect me to accept the responsibilities of an empress?”
Wow it seems Aphmau is the empress what a shocking turn of events oh wait never mind the game spoiled it for me. (Still bitter.)
RAZFAHD: “You do not have the will to be empress. You are not prepared to allow your subjects to bleed while you remain unsullied on your throne.” ...that’s a good thing.
-Razfahd was destined to be Emperor until the Emperor named Nashmeira (for that’s what the game is calling Aphmau now) his successor on his deathbed.
“At the time when our father named you successor, the blood of beasts flowed in my veins, just as it does in these creations [the Lamiae]. The same blue blood that you and our father despise.”
-Razfahd was injured in a war. His only hope was to get a transfusion of regenerative monster blood, which made him ineligible in his father’s eyes for the throne.
-The two seem ready to reconcile, but Luzaf is having none of it. “Do you think I will let two members of the Imperial family simply walk away!?
“Rider in darkness… You have my gratitude Thank you for this opportunity to avenge my people.”
-The Lamiae that attacked the Empire? Blunders. Those who escaped control. Luzaf says he can prove this to the skeptical Aphmau.
-The scene changes back to me. Grand Vizier Razfahd is here, and some of his soldiers are pipers, playing music that tames the Lamiae I was fighting. The Grand Vizier wants to use them to find Aphmau.
Admiral Luzaf was telling the truth.
-Luzaf, Aphmau, and the puppets observe this meeting from afar. Aphmau watches in horror as Grand Vizier Razfahd – her brother – sits there controlling the Lamiae.
-Aphmau still thinks this might be a misunderstanding. Her group approaches Razfahd.
-Razfahd starts to blame Luzaf as a kidnapper, but Aphmau stops him. “I followed him of my own free will!”
-She tears into Razfahd for working with the demonic Lamiae. Razfahd swears these are different, that these are helping their army. Allies to the people of Aradjiah.
LUZAF: “Your lies know no bounds… ‘Allies to the people of Aradjiah,’ you say? These vicious demonesses that feasted on the flesh of my still-living companions!?”
-Razfahd is on the defensive. He asks Aphmau to remember their father’s final words:
“We are the Emperor. The Emperor and Aht Urhgan are as one.” Basically, he wants Aphmau to believe it’s acceptable to take extreme measures to protect Aht Urhgan against its enemies.
APHMAU: “But those are not the only words he used. He also said, ‘A heavy hand is not needed to govern an empire. A gentle hand will guide the people.’” I love watching Aphmau challenge Razfahd here.
-Razfahd tries to weasel out of this with “A time will come when you will understand,” and NO FUCKING WAY. Aphmau’s wise to your patronizing bullshit.
APHMAU: “And you expect me to accept the responsibilities of an empress?”
Wow it seems Aphmau is the empress what a shocking turn of events oh wait never mind the game spoiled it for me. (Still bitter.)
RAZFAHD: “You do not have the will to be empress. You are not prepared to allow your subjects to bleed while you remain unsullied on your throne.” ...that’s a good thing.
-Razfahd was destined to be Emperor until the Emperor named Nashmeira (for that’s what the game is calling Aphmau now) his successor on his deathbed.
“At the time when our father named you successor, the blood of beasts flowed in my veins, just as it does in these creations [the Lamiae]. The same blue blood that you and our father despise.”
-Razfahd was injured in a war. His only hope was to get a transfusion of regenerative monster blood, which made him ineligible in his father’s eyes for the throne.
-The two seem ready to reconcile, but Luzaf is having none of it. “Do you think I will let two members of the Imperial family simply walk away!?
“Rider in darkness… You have my gratitude Thank you for this opportunity to avenge my people.”
-Luzaf starts to shake, purple gas erupting from him. A figure appears behind him, possesses him. The Dark Rider.
-The Rider launches dark magic at our party as Flit the Imp looks on, cackling.
-Something goes wrong. The Rider seems to run out of juice. He disappears and Luzaf collapses, as Flit flies up to his master, concerned.
-To Razfahd’s shock, Nashmeira runs up to the fallen Luzaf, ordering Flit to help get him back to his ship.
-Flit teleports Nashmeira, Luzaf, and the two puppets away.
-Razfahd calls off the mercenaries searching for Aphmau and reassigns them to surveil the Black Coffin.
“Luzaf… He may have been chosen to become the next rider.”
-I’m ordered to keep silent. To not tell anyone about what just happened. “Especially to the president of Salaheem’s Sentinels.” Aw.
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Next time: Hopefully learning more about the Dark Rider.
