Star Trail: Siege Perilous

Won?

      

Well, I have to hand it to you: All of you knew what was coming, and you managed to keep the secret. All I can say is that there's a right way and a wrong way to do this kind of thing, and I'm not sure the game did it the right way.

     

When we last checked in with Star Trail, the party had found the Salamander Stone and was on its way to Lowangen to deliver it to either of the two parties who approached us at the beginning of the game and asked that we find it. One, Elusrion Starlight, wanted the artifact to unite the dwarves and elves against the orcs. The other, Sudran Alatzer, wanted it for . . . profit, I guess. Elusiron wanted us to deliver it to a dwarf named Ingramosch, Alatzer to a woman named Vindaria Leechbroon. Either way, the recipient was supposed to be in Lowangen.

       

Ambushed on the way.

       

The problem: Lowangen was surrounded by a besieging party of orcs. Approaching the siege camp produced a multi-stage encounter.

 

1. A description of the orc army. Here we learn that orcs are called "blackpelts" by the civilized races of Arkania. The options are to turn around or "walk on." Turning around sends us back along the last road segment we traveled.

 

2. The orcs don't seem to care about our presence. But suddenly, four orcs start walking towards us. Options are to keep walking, start running, or turn around. Turning around sends us back along the last road segment we traveled. Either of the other two options, to the best of my recollection, accomplishes the same thing.

       

Why are you besieging the city if you don't want to hurt anybody?

      

3. The four orcs come up to us and demand our "baggage and weapons." We have options to hand them over or say that we'll turn back. But at this point, it's too late. Even if we turn back, they take all our stuff. There's an option to fight, but it leads immediately to unavoidable death for every character.

     

While the orcs are stripping us of our stuff, a shaman approaches, says that our magic stuff is dangerous, and the orcs put them back. Thus, we arrive in Lowangen, with everything gone—weapons, armor, canteens, tools, sleeping bags, rations, lockpicks—missing. We keep our gold, base clothing, any magic items (including our Girdles of Might and Obsidian Daggers), and the Salamander Stone.

       

This is how the game explains the orcs taking our silverware but not our magic swords.

       

I tried everything to get around them. When I left off last time, the party was going up the west bank, but the trail pattern made us cross the river again before we reached the city. I tried coming from the south. I tried swinging east, then north, and coming from the north. I tried going far north past the city, to the menu city of New Lowangen (it had a temple and an inn; nothing special), across the river, and then south on the other side. That got the party mired in a swamp for about half an hour, and I ultimately reloaded.

        

I think we're here too soon.

       

A few things happened during my attempt to get around the orc siege. First, we fought a few random battles with orc patrols. These were enough to level everyone up to Level 4. Oddly, the characters didn't always gain levels immediately after a battle. Sometimes, they only leveled after a night's rest. Do I get experience for camping? I'll have to check next time.

   

Second, we ran into a friendly NPC named Antharon who was also traveling to Lowangen. We allowed him into the party, although his "rogue" class should have dissuaded us. I was convinced to keep him because he was Level 12 and thus a lot stronger than the characters.

       

Never trust a guy who doesn't shave.

     

Third, we kept getting messages saying, "the pursuers are getting closer." I don't believe there was any kind of encounter that explained who "the pursuers" were. When they finally caught up to us, we found ourselves in battle with a large party consisting of a dwarf, a couple of warriors, a druid, two hunters, and two magicians. It was a tough battle. We won through the usual tactics, including frequent "Lightning" and ganging up on enemies one by one. They mysteriously had no loot at the end of battle.

     

Are these guys just a plot device to force us to go to the right place?

        

Eventually, I had to admit there was no alternative without cheating. I did think of a way to cheat: I could create six new party members at the temple in North Lowangen and give them all the stuff. I didn't do it, first because I don't like to cheat unless it's necessary, second because it seemed like a pain, and third because I didn't know what way we'd be going when we left Lowangen.

   

I walked through the orc camp and handed over my stuff. The party arrived in Lowangen, and then got hit with the second "screw you" of the session: Antharon's brother Gavron came to meet him. The two brothers left the party after giving us all hugs—and stripping us of the Salamander Stone. I tried reloading and kicking Antharon out of the party before we reached the city, but it doesn't accomplish anything. Gavron still meets us and asks about his brother, then steals the stone and disappears into the crowd before we notice.

     

"And the Salamander Stone with him," the game concludes.

        

Fun.

        

Anyway, it's nothing we can change, so we start exploring the large city. We find, in rough order, the following. I should warn you ahead of time that this is a very long bulleted list. This is perhaps the longest bulleted list I have ever created. I didn't realize how big the city was until I was well into it.

    

• A lot of people who don't want us in their houses.

       

That seems unfair. We just got here.

       

• Taverns called Last Hour, Hammer and Anvil, and At the Canal. Ominously, they don't have any food available, just watered-down wine. In talking with the bartenders, I note that GAVRON is a keyword, but they don't know anything. One says that Ingramosch is trying to mobilize people against the orcs. We earn a couple of gold pieces with our "Acrobatics" skills.

• A house occupied by Raisha Rotenegger, who slams the door in our face.

• A house occupied by a guy named Pagon Droler. No matter what I ask him about, he says I'm babbling.

• Vindaria Leechbronn's house. She was the "evil" option for turning over the Salamander Stone. She slams the door in our faces. We force our way in and find ourselves in battle with a bunch of warriors and elves. It's a tough fight, as some of my characters are unarmed and all of them are unarmored. We loot a bunch of equipment and 50 gold pieces. Searching the building afterwards, we find a lot more equipment (including 40 rations, ropes, blankets, and water skins) and the Salamander Stone! That was a surprise. But as we leave, I realize that Toliman was killed, so I have to reload and do everything again.

      

Cramped quarters for this battle.

    

• Healers named Kysira and Pareinor Vormtann. 

• A smith named Roglima the Great. One of the nice things about having no equipment is you have nothing to repair.

• An inn called Trenchbog, run by a guy named Vitus Gullits. He says I can get the "best information" at the Orc Death in the Svelltwash neighborhood. He has no food and no lodging space available.

• Two merchants named Vistella Ebenborn and Ugo Plotz. They sell general goods. I don't buy anything right now, but I make a note of the places so we can stock up again before we leave town. They have no rations available.

• A couple of brothels. Even if we wanted to stay, the rate is insane. It would cost 96 gold ducats. We only have 64.

     

This is what people mean by hyperinflation during war time.

      

• A house occupied by a woman named Black Jandora. We ask for lodgings; she refuses.

• The Stronghold of the Grey Wands. I have no idea what they are. Again, we ask for lodging; again, we're refused. Same thing happens later at a place called Hall of Power, an academy run by Master Yendrion, and the Academy of Deformations.

• A healer named Jhaell Startrail. This game seems to enjoy doubling up its names. ("Salamander Stone" is also the name of an inn in town.) Everyone I ask about STAR TRAIL thinks I'm talking about her. She suggests we ask the dwarves in the Eydal neighborhood about Ingramosch.

      

Face-palm.

        

• An inn called The White House. When asked about INGRAMOSCH, she says that "Ailian Sevensprings set him up here a few weeks ago." Sevensprings supposedly lives in the area. She has a dormitory available, so we spend the night.

• Herb shops run by Farmion of the Kvill and Dimiona Adingor.

• A guy drops a bag in front of us. We pick it up and return it to him. Mysteriously, he denies being the owner before running away. 

• Parts of the city are connected by bridges. One has a guard who insists on 1 silver piece every time we cross. Another has a donation bowl. The amounts are trivial, but their existence keeps us from fast traveling across town. We have to stop at the bridges every time.

     

This town is full of thieves. Are we supposed to believe that they leave the donation bowl alone?

     

• A couple of houses where the game specifically says, "No one hears your knocking." That makes me think there's something important about them. 

• A note on a wall encouraging us to eat more cheese toast. 

      

You don't have to convince me.

        

• The town's fortress, to which we are barred entry by guardsmen.

• The north gate. If we try to leave, we have to fight like 20 orcs. At least it lets us try. On the way in, the game just assumed that any battle resulted in instant death. 

       

I should have listened to that gate guard.

        

• We're accosted by a party of beggars and thieves who demand our food. We refuse, but there are like 20 of them, and they kill us without much trouble. We reload, but there doesn't seem to be any way to avoid the battle. After multiple tries, we manage to kill them, but with many party members near-unconsciousness. In trying to recover from this battle, I discover that the game will let us just camp in the street.

      

In most RPGs, the choice would be obvious.

       

• The house of a man named Dragan Escht. He says he'll help me find Gavron if I can get "the Vinsalter" to visit his house to help him translate something. He lives in the Colorful Flight neighborhood. Since there's nothing in the game to tell us what neighborhood we're in, I don't know why the NPCs keep telling us the names of neighborhoods. "The southwest part of town" would have been so much more useful. I don't even know if it's worth pursuing Gavron at this point. I really just want to find Ingramosch.

• A female beggar asks for some money. We say yes, and she thanks us. The game doesn't offer an option for how much to give, or even tell us how much we gave. I think it was about 2 gold pieces. 

     

She is more to be pitied than censured.

     

• An old woman approaches and offers to sell a magic amulet for 10 ducats. I think we had the same encounter at the beginning of the game, and commenters said I should have bought it. I buy it, and it does increase the character's magic resistance by 5 points.

       

I think this exact scenario was in my corporate security training.

      

• An inn called Evdal House run by Elgor Onder has dormitory beds available but no food.  

• A shop called Thorescha has rations available, for 5 gold pieces each. Lockpicks are 24 gold pieces. That's price-gouging.

• Another battle with a party of beggars. Only six this time, so we do better. Still, this seems like it's going to be a recurring thing until we get out of here.

      

Doing our part to relieve the refugee crisis.

     

• At the temple of Ingramosch, Xobert Zornbrecht tells us that he thinks Ingramosch left town for the Blood Peaks "to take care of the orcs." 

• The Smithy of Ingerimm. The smith, Angroscha, doesn't want to let us in. She suggests we see Bromhead or Roglima for a weapon, but I know from experience that neither of them has any. They just repair. 

• At one point, I accidentally walk into the canal and discover that it's not a barrier. I guess those points I put into "Swim" were well-spent.

• At the Magistracy (town hall), we learn that not only is the town short on weapons for its defense, it's actually illegal to own more than one weapon. We offer our excess weapons to a councilwoman, and someone important (the game isn't clear on who he is) makes us honorary citizens of the city, which comes with a document and everything. The town took everything we didn't have in hand, including some magic Obsidian Daggers.

     

Thanks, random guy.

      

• More inns (The Inn, Svelltje Palace, The Little Prince, Bit and Ducat), taverns (Hammer and Anvil, Water and Wine, Klonballa's, Dark Eye, Orc Death, Salamander Stone, Little Fox Den), and temples (Tsa, Boron, Travia, Rahia, Hesinde) where they have no food, no lodging, and no information. 

• We find the house of The Vinsalter, but he doesn't want anything to do with Dragan. We plead and offer to pay him to no avail. One of the party members suggests we return tomorrow.

      

I actually have no idea. Could you tell me what a "Vinsalter" is? It sounds like a jackass who runs around ruining people's wines.

      

• The Exhibition of Art in Craftsmanship. It's closed. 

• We find Ailian Sevensprings's house. He gives us the unwelcome news that Ingramosch left town ages ago, headed for the Blood Peaks, through some kind of secret exit. He says Dragan knows where it is. I guess all roads lead to Dragan. He suggests that if Ingramosch has left the Blood Peaks already, it will probably be for the city of Tjolmar.

         

I really appreciated the ability to make map annotations during this session.

     

Finally, at this point, we've explored every building in the city—I think. Islands and clusters of buildings sometimes make it hard to explore systematically. We camp for the night and try the Vinsalter again. This time, in response to our "sorry story," he agrees to go see Dragan. He joins the party as an NPC and we take him across town, praying we don't get attacked by another beggar pack, as our hit points are almost gone.

        

Dragan is happy when we return. On the subject of TRAVEL, he suggests we talk with Black Jandora, who knows a secret exit. As for GAVRON, he wants us to do another favor before he'll tell us: Retrieve his brooch ("an heirloom that the town more or less stole from me") from the Exhibition building. 

     

Maybe I'll just call her "Jandora."

       

Jandora wants 300 gold pieces to get us out of town, or six times more than we have. We remind her of favors she owes to Dragan, and she lowers it to 100—still too much, but I have stuff to sell. I visit Vistella Ebenborn's shop and manage to get to 185 gold pieces with the extra Girdle of Might and the jewelry I looted from Vindaria Leechbronn's house. (I'm curious what would happen if I just spent it all on brothels. Would I be in a "walking dead" situation?) While I'm there, I load up on basic sundries again (no sleeping bags, alas), which cost 28 gold pieces.

       

This still annoys me.

      

We burglarize the Exhibition Hall in the middle of the night and steal the brooch. There were several opportunities to turn back during the escapade, and I don't know whether our ultimate success had anything to do with our statistics. I wish more games were transparent about when you make a skill check.

   

Back at Dragan's, he tells me that if I want to catch Gavron, I should ask around the Orc. Again, I don't know whether I want or need to catch Gavron—perhaps I should just head for Jandora and the secret exit. I have to wait nearly a full day for the Orc Death to open. I spend that time re-checking stores, but I can't find anyone who sells waterskins or sleeping bags, even at inflated prices. (On the subject of water skins, I note that my party members' thirst meters haven't budged while in the city, and the few water skins I have remain full. I think the game assumes we're drinking from the many wells in the city.)  I re-check the price of healing and deem it too expensive.

      

One-fifth of our money to heal one character.

      

When I finally get into Orc Death, no one can tell me anything about Gavron other than he occasionally comes into the place. But as I leave, I see Gavron poke his head in, then flee. The game gives me an opportunity to follow him, but of course since you can't see figures in the environment in this game, it's all done by menu.

  

When I catch up to him, I'm surprised that one of the dialogue options I have is, "Where is the Salamander Stone?" Didn't I find it? Is it fake? We interrogate him, and he tells us that he "delivered the [stone] to Vindaria." Where we already found it. So I guess this whole plot thread was in case we hadn't stumbled on Vindaria's house on our own. 

         

I feel like there should be more options here.

      

We return to Jandora and pay her the 100 ducats. She says to go to the castle of the knights' order at the north end of town, ask for Master Eolan, and tell him we want to "sweep the yard." I assume this is the place called the Castle of the Order of the Grey Staves on the map and the Stronghold of the Grey Wands when we knock on the door.

   

Master Eolan gives us unfortunate news: He'll only let us go if we find a missing member of his order first. The man is named Agdan Dragenfeld, and he got lost crossing the swamps to the west. Taking this mission will require us to leave two party members behind in the city. (I try refusing, but we end up in a cell and there's an instant "game over.") I leave Toliman and Lyra behind, and soon the other four members are outside the city.

       

I wonder if I should take the Salamander Stone or leave it with one of them.

          

I'm going to end here, but it occurs to me that I could reload from before visiting Master Eolan, drop off two party members at one of the temples, create two new party members, leave them with Master Eolan, and reunite with the original members at the temple in New Lowangen. I probably won't do this for role-playing reasons, but is there any reason this won't work? Or what if I just created two new members and headed directly for the Blood Peaks (assuming that's where I need to go next)?

          

Star Trail is hardly the first game to strip equipment or party members at scripted plot moments. I try to roll with the punches and not let it annoy me, particularly when it feels more or less organic. I generally hate these moments at the time, but when they're all over, I sometimes realize that I enjoyed the extra challenge. One of the later chapters of Fate: Gates of Dawn offered a notable example. Still, it annoys me somewhat that this game encourages the player to hyper-prepare with equipment and then steals it all.

      

I thought the developers did a reasonably good job depicting a city under siege, with a subsequent breakdown of order and lack of basic services. There are RPGs in which the party would literally solve all of this: find food, find water, restore order, and defeat the orcs all by themselves. I enjoy those types of heroics, but there's also something fun about the opposite sort of game, where six people can only accomplish what six people could reasonably accomplish. Will Star Trail hold true to this experience, or will we be confronting armies by its end? I guess time will tell.

      

Time so far: 29 hours