Did you notice? --SPOILERS--

[Kreador Freeaxe]

I thought it would be fun to have a topic pointing out interesting, odd, or useful things that we've found wandering around the world of Book II.

The reason I thought so is because I'm not sure how many people noticed that Karuku Rock is also a watering hole. Every time you click on it you drink and fill your water skins.

[MyGameCompany]

Heh, I found that on my second play-through.

How about the powder keg hiding behind the wall on the west end of Eastwillow? If I remember correctly, it's near the edge of the map, where the rats are. I found that barrel by accident, and ever since I started moving my mouse over the wall surfaces to see if there were other objects hiding behind the walls, and I found a few barrels and chests scattered throughout the game. A great way to hide stuff, BW!

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Heh, I found that on my second play-through.

How about the powder keg hiding behind the wall on the west end of Eastwillow? If I remember correctly, it's near the edge of the map, where the rats are. I found that barrel by accident, and ever since I started moving my mouse over the wall surfaces to see if there were other objects hiding behind the walls, and I found a few barrels and chests scattered throughout the game. A great way to hide stuff, BW!

Found that one first time through, as Book I taught me the value of running my mouse along every wall to see what might be hidden by the perspective.

[Randomizer]

I found that keg on the first play through but forgot about it until Crazy Bernie reminded me. Now I write everything down.

[stonedoliver]

OK, I can't remember the names of the maps and am waayyy to lazy to open the game and check them out but there are two maps south of Broken Blade that have walls at their top corners. Presumably its a building (/tower/whatever) yet I haven't been able to find any way to get through to it (might be that I've missed a path, still skimming through the posts to see if its something I haven't found a way into). Might have a fake wall or something but I don't have a spot hidden level that would reveal a secret door (illusory wall).

This is my second time through the game and those walls keep intriguing me. I keep wondering if they have anything to do with the levers that don't work in the run down zoology park (the place with the wrecked cages) since - if I remember correctly - it was in relatively close proximity. Of course, it could be that its just a piece of decoration but... still.. annoying. The expansion came out and took away my frustration of having used a close by keg that I could have used on the chest buried deep within the rocks east of the Farrock Monolith (hope I wrote that correct) so I'm just hoping that they'll have a solution to that inaccessible area that will take the dread away from scouting and rescouting all the trails near by in an attempt to get to that structure.

There is a chest on a small island on the map just south of the Farrock Monolith. A very annoying chest that I found to be pointless since Broken Blade demonstrates that it is possible to put non-click chests for decoration. (Then again, I was a fighter the first time so don't know if there are any high level spells that can transport you to just behind the chest - the only place that seems you'd be able to click it).

Those are the only two I can think of right now. I'll repost if I recall or see any new areas/objects my second time through.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Heh. Stonedoliver, those are both items there to drive us crazy (you may also have noted all the clickable chests in storerooms around Port Kuudad that you can't get to--enough to make a plunderer go insane). The walls near Broken Blade go all the way around. I think BW had originally planned to have something there, but decided it was better to save us from eternal waiting than to infinitely add content but never get the game out. I expect when Book III comes out and BW releases his modding tools (which is the current plan), several enterprising users here will save us from our desire to solve those riddles.

[stonedoliver]

Wow... speedy reply... wasn't expecting it. Guess I haven't found the track to see the rest of the wall. Will have to be a bit more careful this time. And I agree that BW probably had an original plan to go with it. Most probably one that was tied to the Mage Tower and the Necromancers haven west of Broken Blade. It struck me odd that the mage tower was the only place that you didn't get a mission/quest (though admittedly I took the cup to the tower for the amazing wand so I don't know if you get one when you confront the top shot without a cup, something that I will also have to try this time through. PS... no wands for sale or loot, why???).

Heh. Stonedoliver, those are both items there to drive us crazy (you may also have noted all the clickable chests in storerooms around Port Kuudad that you can't get to--enough to make a plunderer go insane).

I left out on it intentionally for two reasons. The first is that there are TOOOO many posts on the matter. The second is that I have noticed that all the blank spaces allocated to maps have been pretty much up to scale to the area that will be uncovered (dungeons, towers, etc.). Yet the space allocated to the second floors in Kuudad are enormous and match the size of the Kuudad city. Call it wishful thinking but I was pretty sure that was an intentional design flaw with insight to further access to rooftops when you were admitted to the palace (off a balcony or terrace perhaps). That would ultimately solve the problem of getting to the chests if there is a system of dropping into the storage areas with a rope. Of course, it'll require a further expansion but the idea of expanding above ground rather than under ground (as is the usual case for almost all RPGs I've ever played) would be interesting.

[stonedoliver]

After hours of skimming through the posts (about 400 or so of them) I decided to post a few points I think nobody spotted.

First off, there are so many posts on morality that I found it was a moral obligation to inform those less aware of the story details. So, in order of appearance:

a) The young apprentice (or whatever) in the well behind the church is evil to the core. Killing him is not an issue. He's possessed, a shell of himself. Put his poor soul to rest. No mortal should be left in the hands of such overpowering torment. (Too bad you end The One's reign of horror, or we'd be able to kill off that murdering yet friendly NPC in Eastwillow for they too would be possesed by then.)

b) The dying man is not evil. Yet he does not have the benefit of the amnesia serum that also miraculously allows you to heal mortal blows to a managable degree by using the lowest level of health spell/potion. Not to mention the awesome power bestowed upon them by demigods that happen to be controling the said amnesia serum user from another plane of existance upon the world commonly known as Gaia. In cases of absolute death, these demigods have the use of a minor spell called loading that pretty much does the trick every time.

c) Sparrow - though flawed with a serious attitude problem (oh yeah, and I'd be willing to offer coffee and pie to the guy that stumbled into my house without my consent and would not once think of smashing his brains across my wall paper with a baseball bat) - is clearly misguided. Killing her is a moral no no. She may have some empathy for an evil creature (or is it evil??? Book III, where arth thou?) but isn't that the equivalent of democratic voting? Is everyone whoever voted for a war mongering president really evil? Basic case of misevaluation.

d) The dwarves are evil. Haven't any of you been to West Willow? Their greed guides them and they manipulate others to serve their needs. The fact that they don't attack you is because you supply them with gold (what? you thought they sold the stuff you sold them free of profit???). Even if they ARE peaceful and good, that still doesn't count, they carry the sins of their ancestors against the citizens of West Willow (oh, that sounded ridiculous? please refer to the Original Sin quoted in the Testament that a great fraction of the demigods on Gaia believe to be the Holy Book).

Second (and again on morality.. sigh) is the issue of absolutes as portrayed by our friend the amnesiac. You can play the game in three modes. Good, Neutral and Evil. Good is Chotic Good to the extreme. Kill anything that is evil. Kill anything that is the spawn of evil, no questions asked (incidentally gets you a few challenges). Neutral is True Neutral - let all exist to maintain the balance (pacifists unite!). Evil is lawful evil - kill 'em all, let a higher order sort them.

Three... the wolves are not real wolves. They're shape shifted demonic reincarnations that are trying to get a sympathy vote with the puppy spark death whine. Don't be alluded. They're also evil. Be true to your good alignment and kill them or be true to your evil alignment and still kill them. No harm done.



All that being said and done with a mild hint of sarcasm, time for a genuine article that is within the concept of this post: What is with that inaccessible little room in the (appropriately named) "Cow" Tower? Was I dumb and not able to figure it out or is there no way to sneak across the rift of void to get there? Did I miss out on crucial experience (and good for nothing know-how)?

PS: Are you still killing a friendly NPC if Sparrow happens to stumble upon the vicinity of powder kegs you had carefully placed to blow open that sealed container? Or am I taking challenge descriptions too literally as may an attorney in his interpretations of written laws?

-- EDIT --

Scratch the note... *Accidentally* blowing up Sparrow doesn't work. You still lose your True Healer challenge.