After over 2 weeks of playing, including watching dozens of tips videos, Shaw discovered for the first time that runes picked up on the ground (as opposed to obtained from defeated enemies) are not automatically added to her total rune count, but rather, she must consume them. Completely intuitive! In any case, Shaw was able to level up from 25 to 29 in a single Site of Grace visit. She wishes someone had given her this valuable information earlier.
With her sword levelled up to +3 and some newly minted stats, she headed off for Castle Morne, to fight the big scary guy shooting arrows/bolts from across the map. Riding Sir Mix-a-Lot fast, zigzagging across the field to avoid the massive projectiles, she was soon within striking distance of this massive opponent. Steeling herself for a long fight against, she started with a few slashes at its ankles, and then it died immediately.
“This place is fucking with me again,” Shaw pondered. So far, and she was sure this would change quickly, the scarier, larger opponents were proving less of a challenge than the standard enemies. Whoever was in charge of giving promotions to these monsters, was evidently terrible at their job. It seemed that the concept of failing upwards carried over from her world to the Lands Between. Nevertheless, with the golem defeated, Shaw posed for a glamour shot.
Before entering the castle, Shaw would explore the newly secured surrounding grounds. Spotting some jellyfish on a nearby beach, she decided to approach. “Maybe Alistair could make some new friends?” she wondered. Sadly, these were not friendly jellyfish, but she retreated rather than fight them, musing that gratuitously murdering specimens of the same species as her companion might sour their working relationship.
Satisfied that the Castle outskirts contained nothing of value, she proceeded to enter. There seemed to be an ongoing dispute between the employees and management that deteriorated rather quickly. Pictured here is a sketch that Shaw made of the bargaining table/bonfire, where visibly outraged union-members request better pay and improved working conditions:
It seemed like the negotiations were not going terribly well, so Shaw decided to intervene as a mediator. After several rounds of intense arbitration, where a resolution could not be reached (i.e. she kept getting swarmed and dying) Shaw left the castle. Perhaps she would return later, when her mediation skills had improved.
Shaw seemed to remember hearing of a similar situation occurring further North in Limgrave. Had Kenneth Branagh not tasked her with ridding his fort of occupying protesters? She went back to ask him in order to make sure, and indeed she was correct. So she set out for this fort, but got distracted by a mysterious building along the way.
Inside this building, she found an elevator. The ride down felt interminable, the majestic scenery made up for it. She had found a place called Siofra River. She would leave for now, and explore this place later, but not before posing for a sick picture with her awesome looking new shield.
Summary:
In which Shaw defeats a golem, obtains a cool-looking shield, and attempts conflict-management techniques during intense union negotiations.
