Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Parts Ninety-Six and Ninety-Seven: Ghostbusting and A Strange Crime

In Which Our Hero helps a ghost come to terms with her death and learns of a crime that has been committed - maybe.







This is where things really start to take off. We open the first video with Marcus addressing some various ghostly undead issues: first, it's back to the female ghost in the forest, whom Marcus finally convinces she's a ghost. We then return and learn her name: Anna. As if we didn't realize it already. This is Nikolai's lost love, who perished after being out at dusk. Seemingly on an errand for Dr. Cranium, but who's counting?

Then Marcus heads to another wraith barrow where he does battle with the vicious undead and is triumphant. Another wraith horde to add to the stack. It's too bad Marcus can only buy candy and sandwiches with his loot. Maybe he should look into the deed on Borgov Castle...

Back to town and the inn, where Marcus has a quick meal, a good night's sleep and wakes up for the second video.

There is a lot of dialogue in this one and not a lot of commentary, mostly because I wanted you guys to enjoy it. As I pointed out in the commentary, this is the start of the events that lead to the endgame of Shadows of Darkness. We're through learning about the town and this series of events will lead us to our final confrontation. But enough about that: this is something to be savored.

Marcus rolls out of bed, heads downstairs, noshes a bit and walks out to Mordavia's fine morning. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and there's a lynch mob ready to tie a gypsy to the stake and burn him.

What?

It seems that Igor the gravedigger's gone missing. And the mob caught a gypsy outside of town. Naturally, gypsies are werewolves and eat people so this gypsy was brought into town for questioning as he is clearly related to Igor's disappearance. Or is he?

Looks like Marcus is going to have his work cut out for him.

Personal note: this is one of my favorite scenes in the series because it combines so many great elements of gothic fiction: the paranoid mob, the slightly supernatural, the disappearance of someone familiar and the terrible things that linger just beneath the surface of common folk. So yeah, enjoy.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Parts Ninety-Four and Ninety-Five: Waiting for Baba and A Paladin's Sword

In Which Our Hero kills a little time (necessarily) and gets a new sword, and another quest to complete his other quest. Sigh.







We've got two videos today to help speed things along. The first one is Marcus' morning routine: getting some potions from Dr. Cranium, including the Rehydration Solution, and going to see Boris. Then it's off to Baba Yaga, but we meet the Leshy first who asks us another riddle but chides us for not having visited Baba yet.

We're about to fix that, oh yes. The second video picks up right outside Baba's hideout, where we meet Bonehead again. He'll let us in as long as we get him something to 'improve his looks.' Damn, another quest. At least this one won't be too hard to complete.

Once we're done with Bonehead (and he does give us some good exposition about Baba's background) we kill a little time until nightfall and then face another wraith to take its plunder - a big old shiny pile of plunder, which includes a Paladin Sword. Our inventory says is belonged to Piotyr. Well well.

Watch out world: Marcus is back.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Ninety-Three: Sensahuma

In Which Our Hero gets the skinny on a new quest.





Kicking off in Punny's room, we get the skinny on his encounter with Baba Yaga. Seems she didn't like him telling a joke about a certain Hero who turned her into a frog. You know, Marcus. Oops.

Since we're (inadvertently) responsible for Punny's state of affairs we might as well try to find Baba and see if she'll give him his sensahuma back. Plus it would be doing the world a favor if we finally got him to stop telling such terrible jokes.

That night, we spend another night out by the Staff and our dreams are troubled, terrible things. What does this mean? Is it connected to the restless ghost of Piotyr?

The next morning we continue trying to reunite Boris and Olga, drop by the gym for a workout and head to Craniums just in time to see him reanimate a corpse. Kind of. Lucky us. And that's where we pick up for next time.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Ninety-Two: Everybody Loves a Clown

In Which Our Hero learns that some comedy just isn't Punny. Err, funny.





There's something strange afoot at the Hotel Mordavia. Or is that underfoot? I just don't gnome anymore.

Get ready for a wild and punny ride as Punny Bones, the resident non-funny jester, is here to provide some comic relief - and to serve as a kind of friend for Marcus, who certainly could use a kindred spirit right now. Punny is a comedian but he's jut not all that funny. In fact, he's really really unfunny. Even the locals think so.

But how did he end up this way? Well it seems it had something to do with Baba Yaga. And, inadvertently, with something Marcus did in the first game.

Enjoy the humor, what there is of it. It's a good time anyway.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Ninety-One: Women Living and Dead

In Which Our Hero deals with various women in various stages of life and unlife.





Women. Marcus just doesn't seem to have much luck with them, eh? This video is like navigating a minefield of the fairer sex.

The first woman just doesn't believe that she's dead. Dead as a doornail. In fact, she's a ghost, but she won't listen to Marcus when he tries to inform her this is why she's so confused.

The second? Remember Katrina? She's a piece of work. She teaches Marcus magic, gives him a healing potion, responds well to his flirting but then leaves at the first sign of commitment. Sheesh.

Back at the Inn to lick our wounds, we meet a whole new character: Punny Bones. More about him in tomorrow's update...

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Ninety: Friends New and Old

In Which Our Hero is kicked out of a camp and meets someone he left hopping mad.





We open with Marcus wandering through a pleasant forest, ruminating on his surroundings and the history of Sierra when he is suddenly beset by that most fearsome of Mordavian monsters. I really don't want to spoil the surprise but it is an epic struggle and if you watch one video for the Shadows of Darkness portion, make sure it's this one for the thrilling and exciting combat.

After vanquishing this fearsome beast Marcus finds a gypsy camp, where he is told in no uncertain terms to 'go away.' Even his normal attempts at charm fail, and he eventually leaves, tail tucked. To find the other unexplored corner of the valley, hidden by a magic bush.

On the other side, there's a hangman's tree, a talking skull with a very familiar gem in it, and a particular hut on chicken legs that we've seen somewhere before.

Oh right, Baba Yaga, the ogress who cursed Spielburg valley and we defeated by turning her into a frog!

I'm sure she'll be tickled pink to see us.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Nine: Boris and Olga

In Which Our Hero starts doing a good deed for extra credit.





This video covers two things: the daily visit to Doctor Cranium and his funny if somewhat repetitive expositions on science, and a trip to the castle to begin reuniting Boris and Olga. Doctor Cranium tells us about something new he's working on: a rehydration solution. Sounds useful. Good thing we have this book of scientific formulae here to help him remember how it went.

Then at the castle, Boris tells us how much Olga used to nag him and how that nagging drove him away. Hmm. It's going to be hard work getting these two back together.

Next video there will be much more action, two new locations and an old, err, friend. I promise.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Eight: The Domovoi

In Which Our Hero meets a very ugly house spirit.





Another update that's mostly talking. Marcus kicks off by staying up late, coming down to the Inn's common room after everyone else has gone to sleep. There he meets a strange creature called the Domovoi, a Slavic house spirit. The Domovoi is very sad and says that dark times have befallen Mordavia and the Inn in particular. He gets a little dodgy about details, but says we can speak more later. Fair enough.

The next morning Marcus goes to the store where he tells Olga about Boris. Yes, Boris is her 'departed' husband. It seems he didn't leave this plane of existence, or even this town: he just moved to the castle. Interesting.

After chatting with Olga about this and that, Marcus heads to the Adventurer's Guild for a workout, which is getting 'too easy.' And that's where we pick up next time.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Seven: Piotyr's Quest

In Which Our Hero gets a new quest and is entertained by the locals.





Walking north, Marcus encounters a different kind of ghost. This is the kind that shoots ghostly fireballs and causes damage. It's also the kind that falls down after Marcus beats on it for a while and has a big pile of stones full of ghostly treasure!

It's time to go back to town, and Marcus takes a little bit of time to practice climbing over the gates (in fact, he grinds this out in a very subtly deleted scene) and makes it over no problem. Inside, Piotyr's ghost gives him his first official quest: free the Rusalka. OK, no problem.

Then it's back to the inn for some dinner and amusing conversation with the locals. It's more of the same banter we've come to love, with a few clues about the Chernovy cult, so enjoy!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Six: Mordavian Nights

In Which Our Hero puts down roots and meets a ghost.





Back in Erana's Garden it's a quick run up to the Leshy to tell him about rescuing the Bush, at which point he tells us to go plant it. There's really only one logical place to do this: the big purpose-built hole in Erana's Garden, which we just came from. Lucky us eh?

It's back to the Garden where we plant the Bush, and back to the Leshy who plays another stupid game with us before giving up the next clue after we get his Rusalka question correct: part of a rhyme that will open up an area behind 'trick sticks.' Wonder where that is?

Night's about to fall and Marcus takes five before walking to the west and meeting a very spooky looking ghost. She seems to be lost. And she doesn't seem to realize she's dead. Like in that movie about ghosts where the kid saw dead people that didn't know they were dead. You know, Ghostbusters.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Five: Bonsai!

In Which Our Hero gets gooey and saves a tree.





We kick off by bilking the good doctor for a healing and poison cure potion, which we'll need son enough. Then Marcus swings by the adventurer's guild for his morning workout on the stair-stepper before leaving town.

Now then, the Leshy gave us this bush-goo quest. Remember that delicate bonsai tree we saw on the way in? That's our destination. Marcus sizes up the situation, grabs some rocks, and breaks the barrier holding the tree with his elite throwing skills. That spear contest in Tarna paid off.

Now to take the Bush back to the Leshy. Marcus gets a little distracted on the way and finds Erana's Garden - where he could plant the bush now, but he wouldn't get full points. So next time, we take it to the Leshy and will return to the Garden to plant it.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Four: Strange Dreams

In Which Our Hero has some very unusual dreams.





Erana's Staff is a perfectly safe place to sleep, so Marcus beds down for the night in the middle of town rather than sleep in his nice warm bed. Looks like he needs to work on that Int. score a bit.

That night Marcus' dreams tend towards the crazy. Maybe he shouldn't have taken so many hits off the water pipe in Tarna, because damn. What does all this mean??

The next morning the Burgomeister grills Marcus a bit before we head off to the store, more for rumors than anything (and also because I was trying to kick off the Boris-Olga subplot, which didn't happen.) Then it's off to Doctor Cranium's where we watch him get fried with 1.2 gigawatts before talking to him about a certain Antwerp POPulation Explosion that we may or may not have taken part in.

The speech really slows the games down, huh? I'm thinking of kicking these up to an update a day.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Three: Back to Town

In Which Our Hero listens to the locals and meets a ghost.





Continuing at our somewhat glacial pace, we head back to the Inn and wrap up Marcus' first day in Mordavia with another enlightening (and hilarious) conversation with the locals. This is one of the better ones with the three farmers, so it's actually worth listening to the whole thing.

After chatting with our new friends (ha) we head back outside where night has officially fallen. Back by Erana's Staff, we meet the shade of the Paladin Piotyr who tells us that he cannot rest until the sorrows of his land are fixed, and that we as a fellow Paladin must share his fate. Well, shit. No one ever said this Paladin gig would be easy.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-Two: The Leshy

In Which Our Hero goes bush-diving.





Marcus' heart is still all aflutter from meeting such a nice, pretty lady! Wait, maybe it's aflutter because he's exhausted and bleeding out from his encounter with the Necrotaur?

Either way, Marcus takes five and it's a good thing because he meets another monster soon after: a Mordavian wyvern. Which he defeats of course, but it might have been a close fight had we not rested.

Marcus stumbles across a series of bushes, one of which seems to be meowing at him. Inside is a strange wooden forest-sprite that we identify as a Leshy. The Leshy has a task for us: 'save a plant from goo.' I seem to remember seeing a little bonsai tree in a big puddle of goo earlier in the game. Maybe that's what the Leshy is referring to?

Darkness is starting to fall and with all the warnings about Mordavian nights perhaps its best if we head back to town. There's a quick stop-over at the cemetery where we do a bit of sight-seeing, then back to the town gates for the end of this video.

Next time, we'll meet another Paladin. Except he's... a... g.g.g.g.g. ghost!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty-One: The Rusalka

In Which Our Hero meets a really nice girl who wants to murder him.





I'm an insomniac, so my lack of sleep means a bonus video this week!

This one kicks off right where the last one left off: finishing our conversation with Boris, who tells us a very interesting tidbit about a foreigner staying at the castle. He has an odd habit of licking his lips when he talks to you. That sounds awfully familiar...

After taking our leave of Boris and the castle, we roam over scenic Mordavia and find a wandering Necrotaur, whom we make quick work of. Marcus has apparently learned an offensive spell somewhere, as he pounds the shit out of the Necrotaur with a hadooken. Good on him I guess.

Somewhere south of the castle lies a lake. As we approach, a beautiful woman with green hair pops out and invites us for a swim. That seems natural, right? Wrong. We sweeten her up a bit and have a nice conversation with her, where we realize that she's someone we might be able to help in the future. Then she might think of us as more than a friend!

White Knighting for the Rusalka and more in future updates!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Eighty: Dark Visions

In Which Our Hero has a little too much to drink.





Back in the basement Marcus takes a look through that large, ominous desk and finds some large, ominous plot points. Inside are the papers of Amon Tillado, the Mad Monk. Amon Tillado was a few cards short of a deck - or had a few cards too many in his deck. But the desk contains some important clues about where to find each of the rituals. Odd, the Mouth ritual was supposed to be hidden beneath the Dark One sign on the arch, but we didn't see it.

There's a reference to one of the rituals being in the monastery and can be found by those 'willing to seek dark visions.' Isn't that what the Amon Tillado wine is supposedly for? Might as well have a bit.

Hic.

Hic.

BARF.

WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. THAT????

It's time to get out of here. Out of town even. Supposedly there's a castle to the west of town, maybe we should go check that out.

It's beautiful out here. They're even playing Marcus' song! We grab some corn and head to the castle, where we meet Boris Stovich who seems to be channeling every major horror movie stereotype in one, and has a strange nervous tic with his fingers. Everything he says is sinister-sounding. Good guy or bad guy? Our Paladin Sense isn't tingling, but it's been wrong before...

Picking up here next time, when we'll meet a lovely young lass who wants to send us to our doom.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Nine: The Monastery

In Which Our Hero learns more of the Dark One and ignores the warnings of the locals.





Now things start to get interesting. We finish questioning Dr. Cranium and head back to the monastery at the north end of town. Ignoring Igor, we try to open the door, only to be eaten by the sculpture hanging there! Oh no! Good thing we saved our game.

A quick restore later and we use the Dark One sign on the door, gaining access to the monastery. It's not so bad inside - if you can get over the evil symbols everywhere and the creepy, dried-out Domovoi statue in the cabinet. There's another Hexapod over the fireplace and some telltale scratches inside. Could this be another door? It could!

Give Hector the Hexapod (I didn't make it up, sorry) some garlic and we have access to the monastery basement. Now this is clearly where the monastic order invested most of their creepyness. It's cold, and damp, and moldy, and smells like rotting flesh. Not unlike my refrigerator.

We have a quick look around, including as the massive Cask of Amon Tillado, and will pick up in the basement next time - when Marcus is going to go on a little 'trip.'

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Eight: Dr. Cranium

In Which Our Hero learns about SCIENCE!





If you needed any proof that talkie games move at a slower pace than text games, I present today's update which consists entirely of a conversation with Dr. Cranium. Marcus hears a lot about the glories of SCIENCE, although even he has to admit the source might be a little biased.

Dr. Cranium expounds at length about science and its superiority to magic, but he is helpful in several regards: he can make healing and poison cure potions, and he gave Marcus some flasks for 'specimen collection.' I'm not sure what Marcus has in mind with those but we'll see.

I swear the next update will have a little more action in it. And our first Quest for Glory 4 death scene!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Seven: Puzzle Solving

In Which Our Hero solves some puzzles. He never was very good at that sort of thing.





Ah the inside of Dr. Cranium's house. Office. Lab. Thing. Marcus starts things off right by inadvertently loosing another Antwerp Population Explosion, but it's OK because we need to TRAP one to solve the next puzzle anyway. It takes our intrepid hero (and his intrepid puppet master) a little bit of time but in the end the maze and the keyhole puzzle prove no match for our wits.

I realize this video is a little boring since it's puzzle-solving, so I tried to make the subtitles as entertaining as possible. Next time we'll have a nice one-on-one with Dr. Cranium and go exploring around where we don't belong. That will be more exciting than this, I promise.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Six: Some Backstory

In Which Our Hero learns of the Paladin Piotyr and the battle against the Chernovy Cult.





The last couple of updates have danced around the backstory a bit. This one has it in spades.

Marcus is still in the Guild, where he takes a gander at the logbook. The recent entries talk about the Paladin Piotyr and his struggles against the Dark One or Chernovy cult. The cult has been operating out of a cave, which he and Erana lead an army to attack. The cultists turned into horrible monsters and Erana seems to have died in the cave while trying to banish - something - to - somewhere. Piotyr seems to have made it back to Mordavia to tell the story, and mentions that he is going to go in search of various Dark One rituals and destroy them. That's the last entry.

It seems that perhaps we have a Quest.

We do a little light reading, learning the Climb skill among other things and then buff up on the stairstepper. There's still more of the town to explore, so we're off and find an old man called Nikolai wandering around, looking for someone named 'Anna.' He's in front of a building that belongs to one Dr. Cranium, where we solve (after a little difficulty) a very simple puzzle and gain entry. The inside looks like a wonderous place full of cunning marvels - which we will explore in further detail in the next update.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Five: The Locals

In Which Our Hero meets a farmer and an elephant-herder, and breaks the glass because it's an emergency.





We start off at the Inn where we pump the Innkeeper for information, which consists largely of 'avoid trouble' and 'dangers at night.' So the same old song and dance really. It sounds a bit like a scam to drum up business at his Inn if you ask me.

Then we question the three locals sitting at the table, a pumpkin farmer, a garlic farmer and an elephant herder. These guys will be providing some much-needed comic relief throughout the game. Note there was an audio bug right before Ivan's intro which caused me to skip past it, so I've pasted it above.

These guys aren't very helpful (yet) so it's on to the adventurer's guild, stopping quickly to talk to Igor, the town gravedigger. He may have a funny accent and a comically deformed body but he's got a great sense of humor! Really.

The adventurer's guild is a sad, deserted place. One thing catches Marcus' attention: a fine sword in a glass case on the wall. "Break Glass in Emergencies" the plaque reads. Well, if being stuck in Mordavia without my equipment doesn't qualify as an emergency, I don't know what does!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Four: The Hotel Mordavia

In Which Our Hero goes shopping (of course) and books a room at the local flophouse.





Welcome back. Our next stop after that morale-boosting visit to the Burgomeister is the local shop, where we fill up on rations and purchase a few choice things from behind the counter. And by 'choice' I mean 'the few things they have to buy.'

Next stop is the Inn, where our reception is less than warm. But we do have a room for the night and another (cheaper) source of meals.

This, like the last update, is a lot of dialogue. Bear with us, it's all the setup for the bigger story.

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Part Seventy-Three: Mordavia Town

In Which Our Hero finds the town of Mordavia and meets the friendly locals.





We pick up in the swamp and make a run through the nighttime Mordavian forest to the town of Mordavia itself. Marcus has a quick poke around the outside and then walks in, much to the surprise of Dmitri, the Burgomeister.

Most of the rest of the video is Marcus' conversation with Dmitri, which is a bit lengthy but sets up part of the story for this game. Listening to the dialogue does make the game more interesting (and the subtitles slightly less distracting) but takes a little longer - so I anticipate there will be more updates for Shadows of Darkness than the other games.

At any rate, enjoy!

Quest For Glory Epic Let's Play Parts Seventy-One and Seventy-Two: Intro and Welcome to Mordavia

In Which Our Hero is Imported to Mordavia, escapes a gross cave and meets a new friend.



It's time to get our Mordavia on! Quest for Glory 4 picks up right where 3 left off: with Marcus doing the boogie down as he's snatched by Dark Magic. After a brief Sierra flourish and introduction, we go to Mordavia:



Note that John Rhys-Davies, the narrator of the game, even narrates the intro process. Aubrey Hodges' awesome score overlays everything so enjoy the kickass music while Marcus comes aboard.

If you look carefully at his character sheet, his official name has been shortened to Marcus Warwick the Pur. I guess the Mordavia DMV only has 22 spaces on their licensing forms. Oh well.

Without further ado, let's get down to the game:





Quest for Glory IV opens in a cave that appears to be made at least in part of the bones of some giant creature. There's a horrid altar made of bones, and human skeletons that have half-melted into the cave.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we aren't in Tarna anymore. Or Spielburg. Or Shapeir. Or even Raseir. This is the real deal. We're alone in a very dangerous place.

Our first item of business is what anyone in our situation would do: loot the fuck out of the corpses. Doing so yields some money (crowns and kopecks, the coins of the realm), a dagger, some flint, and not a hell of a lot else. We use the flint to light the torch by the altar, which glows a horrible green and doesn't seem to have any source of fuel.

Passing through the sphincter (heh heh) into the next room we find the corpse of a Warrior and take his sword and shield. The poor fucker doesn't need them anymore so we take them. On the way out of this place we're beset by Badders, which we dispatch by the power of our mighty chin.

Outside of the cave we meet a lovely young peasant woman named Katrina who tells us how dangerous it is to be out after dark, informs us that we're in Mordavia and the town is 'due north' of our present location and wishes us luck before she runs off to avoid the dangerous things lurking around. Good on her. Apparently we're in Eastern Europe. Man, Russian chicks have sexy accents.

Before we leave, there's something called a 'Dark One Sign' that we pry off an archway and take with us. It's almost like it's alive. Perhaps it will come in handy. Afterwards we slide down a gooey path and head into the swamp, noting the disembodied hands reaching up to grab at us. Mordavia looks like it will be an interesting place to spend some time.

Next time: we'll make it to town.