And so, we assemble a team to begin the arduous trek through the final major dungeon.
It just dawned on me that the adventures of the (the) Kiwi Farms estate has thus far been going on for a fucking
year of real time.
Holy shit. Time to push this thing forward, eh? We have another cutscene, so let's see what happened after Null's ancestor got attacked by the vampire queen at his part--
...Oh. Oh,
shit.
Yeah, he's
definitely @Null's ancestor.
She fucked him up, but the Ancestor ran her through with a dinner knife and as she lay before him, bleeding out, he elected to do something monumentally bastardly. But how bastardly? We've already seen cannibalism, group sex, and murder at these fucking galas. It's not like he could do something that much wo--
Oh, fuck
you.
Fuck. You.
All right, let me break down what the fuck just happened.
Back when he was still a mortal man (and an asshole), the Ancestor saw a particularly enchanting woman at one of the depraved get-togethers the upper crust used to throw. These things were insane affairs, where "do as thou wilt" was the watchword, and something about the predatory vibe this bitch gave off didn't sit well with him. The Ancestor planned to attack her, but when he brought her out on the balcony, exposed to the moonlight, he caught a glimpse of what she truly was right before she attacked.
He lucked out, and stabbed her. Unfortunately, his usual upper-crust depravity kiicked in, and the asshole harvested her blood and created blood-wine from it, instilled with the essence of a predatory woman. Everyone at this party was
just as much of a monster as the Ancestor, you see. These times were an interesting one to be alive to say the least.
Those who drank too much of the accursed tannin quickly became ravening, flesh and blood-hungry fiends - the infestation had begun. The few remaining nobles with anything resembling common sense fled for their lives, and most were eaten and sucked dry by their fellows. Virtually none survived. And the ancestor himself?
He had but a sip. Only one, but it was enough to corrupt him. Though not to the extent of the others, the drink had a profound effect on him....
...For he was given true insight - and learned of the beast under the estate.
This was the incident that changed him into something more than a man, and began the family's descent towards ruination.
She lives still - alive, and
enraged. She now plans to vent her fury on the (the) Kiwi Farms Estate.
Without a moment to lose, we grab our first exploratory team:
@RJ MacReady,
@alex_theman,
@Burned Man, and the ever-lovely
@Ruin.
The Countess dwells in her old keep within the heart of what is now a polluted mire.
The team begins at the entrance to the estate; no matter how many times we visit, I am always unsettled by this infernal place.
We luck out early in the trip as RJ disarms the slime traps and we proceed onward, to find a much-loved prize
indeed.
Firewood. We always need it in these epic duration quests.
Enemy opposition in this hell-swamp is the same it's always been: Bloodsuckers and vermin. Unlike the last time they seem to be smarter now, aggressively targetting specifically based on the party's defenses - focusing all stress on Alex and RJ and status effects on Ruin.
Thankfully the team is hardy, and has no problem smashing their way through enemy opposition at this point.
Burned Man throws himself into the thick of it as only he can, his blade having tasted the blood of every tainted champion placed in his path so far, from the corrupted creatures of the Weald to the Heart of Darkness itself. These blood-drinking fiends stand no chance against that kind of conviction.
They do certainly seem to like trying to puke on Ruin, though.
RJ sends Duchess forth and finishes off the enemies with brutal precision.
All of a sudden, however, one of the remaining fiends tears off Ruin's breastplate and flees! What began as a simple attempt to clear the way for the other explorer teams is now a desperate struggle to get back Ruin's gear and not stare in the process.
The group chases the thief over logs and through the tainted glades, but opposition makes itself known. Thankfully, the enemies are as distracted by Ruin as everyone else is, and the team quickly gets to work.
RJ immediately deals with the locals, and the group launches the attack.
The group takes the squad down in record time, because for once they're motivated.
...That's what you get for staring, motherfucker. Don't be rude.
More enemies insist on obstructing the group as they pursue the thief, and they fare no better.
The Kiwis are undeterred.
