 Well, hello there! I'm Philip Magnus, back with some more of the Banner Saga. This time, it's finally time to play through Chapter 11, which sees the return, not of our lovely ginger heroine, but of our rather barbarous Val. Yes, you know the name. I don't remember it, but you should do. And the name is... um... give me a cutscene. Come on. Oh, straight to the fiend depths with this unending snowstorm. Wait, did you hear that? Probably that bunch of yours rumbling again. Oh god. I'm bush! Hey, we've got great morale. Ah, Bolverg, that was the name. I'm an Egypt. An absolute Egypt. No matter, though. Will make quick work of these. Oh, forgot his special ability. He hits twice. So really, all I needed was a single star. Oh my! Hello, little ones. Are you looking for a spear in your head? Alright, let's do this. Those fellows can always use good stabbing. So I did not expect that we would start with a battle right off. Other than complaining, of course, I need to stretch my strategy muscles. That's what I want to do. So basically, we already have managed to take in a fiend number of them down to size, which let me show you. It's perfect for me. Our spearwoman I honestly don't remember. It's been so long since I actually played any of this. It's kind of sad, honestly. Let's take two swings at you and remove you. Ah, dammit. So I was right in what I did the first time I attacked with Bolverg. Let's see if we can kill you with Volker. Oh, I haven't got an achievement. Shieldmaiden, that's excellent. It's absolutely fantastic. Yeah. Whistle swing. Good. That's good enough for me. Now I do believe it's time to send one of our vile, or maybe even both of them, towards these here slingers, which I'll show you are annoying and unpleasant. And this thing just became invisible, which worries me in many ways, many, many, many different ways to show we move by using stars. Yeah, one star. We're going to save the other three and turn. This one I'm not even going to waste Bolverg's turn on him. Instead, I'm just going to move. Ah, what the? Call the weak or bear rage. Counter attacks plus lower Zaman, causes fear in adjacent enemies. Oh, that's useful. See, I do believe I just care this little bug off. What is this thing anyway? I honestly don't know. What are their names? They look like a mixture between something very delicious that is supposed to live in the seas and something very unpleasant that they actually are. Yay, breaking armor, fun times. I like Bolverg's team. They are interesting in the fact that, well, there's less of them for one. And they seem to be, all of them at least, very, very capable. Yeah, let's take a swing with this axe. Now, that's just rude. Shall I wait a second? Maybe I shall. Yeah, I will take the skull car out and I even got more renown, which serves me perfectly well. Ah, time to end these two now. I've been looking forward to killing slingers all week. Seriously, that was unnecessary. Really, very unnecessary. Yeah, let's just take this skull car out now. See, easy. Really, his class is probably the most interesting in the game and probably the most lethal as well. I mean, Bolverg's, of course. The berserkers are insanely powerful, maybe even OP a bit, but again, he doesn't have as high stats as the rest of the Val. That's the name, sorry. It eluded me for a moment. Oi, stop swinging that damn sling with me. He feels insulted, which I have no idea what that effect does exactly, but I'm willing to bet that it is not very pleasant. I could have just as well killed this one with Bolverg. I don't know why I had to move. Never mind, though. Oh, promotion, excellent. Sigbjorn is actually very useful, and now it's time to end this. Good job, everyone. Good job. This was probably the most... Whoa, why did I hit Sigbjorn with victory? Yay. The shield maiden and the Wanderer achievements are mine. All mine. Bolverg is also ready for promotion, which is excellent. Sigbjorn, good lad, good lad. A very fine battle, if I do say so myself, and a very nice way to open up. You grab a raven running by you. I want every one of our fighters ready to move now, set a post inside these gates for them to wait for me. Yes, that's the voice I'm going with. The fighter Nolzen takes off to find everyone. Where's the feign Valka? Maybe up on the wall? The feign Valka is here. Valkazefr, I've never heard you speak like that. The silent appearance of the two menders surprises you. You were outside the walls. What did you see? Dredged scouts. I'll wager me access. There's an army of them coming this way. The young menders sighs a good while as he stares at Klo and Fang. And if that's... Oh, sorry. That's Valk. And if that's true, they'll level this place. The storm must have hidden their approach. Or kept them busy, that way. But where are they here? Why, no. I don't care. We're heading for the mountains. But the ravens could take on all these dredges, especially with Valka's help. Like that time in River Rake when you held Valka Fjorin. I'd forgotten about that. Nikol Zah is light up. It was you, Fjorin, in the handle of ravens, tracking down the bandit who called himself the droger of the Angler. The lever. A war-hauling blaze across the town. The army of Dredges suspected is real. Nikolz, find Gudmunder. Have his guards try to calm the people. But bring him to meet us at the barn with the cart. The young mender follows orders without question. Not a bad quality. The cart's not your business. I disagree. A dead Valka gives you a cart to hide in the deepest recesses of a river, and suddenly an army of Dredge appears. If you haven't already tried, I doubt you'd be able to open the cart. If it's woven shut as I suspect, I'm the only one here who can open it. I suspect? No. I'm thinking that maybe it's the body of Bellover, the foreign dredge from the first game. But nah. We told you. Jinnah's not dead. We're just travelling with her. Let me tell you something that compromises my position as Valka. Did you know who I knew? Who the entire council knew? Was put to death by us. The council. Oh, interesting. You killed one of your own? It's a very rare sentence, reserved only for the worst fences. Altering people's minds, their thoughts, is one such a fence. Valka gets quiet and looks at you, saying nothing. Zeifer notices the silent exchange but does not question you. Regardless, Jinnah was put to death and I think was imprisoned. In his grief, he escaped and stole away with Jinnah's body. But for what purpose is anyone's guess? So no. You'll not be paid by the council for a job issued by Valka, whose life we ended. Your irritation is rising when another war horn sounds, and two horns means a large force approaches. See, I'm not sure that I can take Zeifer's word. Collect what you need and hurry to the barn. It's time to discover why you're really here. Yeah, I don't trust Zeifer. Not one bit. Then again, I don't trust Junu either, but I've been with her for a longer time, and she has actually saved my life. The last dredge falls and you pause, taking heavy breaths. The snow is finally abating, the storm is moving south. Let's get inside the gate, you say. All right, let's do that. Barn market. Let's see what's in the market. Clubs of kin. This is very useful. Very, very useful. Do I have supplies? Enough supplies. One more day, never hurts. Maybe I should buy a few more. But first, let's see, can we train, train, train, train? Yes, I would do, no. That's the market, right here. Okay, so I suspect we cannot train, unless we go to the barn first. Yeah, let's go to the barn. The smell of hay and the oxygen is heavy as you enter the stout wooden barn. Zephyr and Nichols are talking in hushed tones to the guard captain Gudmundr, who glances at the large cart nervously. Everyone knows why we're here, she says. I do not believe in coincidences, but I cannot begin to imagine what would draw an army of dredge to spindle besides the contents of this cart. She moves her spear in intricate motions, occasionally shaking her head and starting over. Finally, she looks at you to open it. Yes, I knew it, I called it. I'm good, I'm very good. The sound of the thunder bellower's body in the cart silences everyone but you. You how the memory of a dream tears through your mind, it drops you to a knee. The strange tower of white sound, lightning, fear, confusion, distrust. There is a wrongness about it all. Over, hey! Folka's voice draws you from the dream and she's shaking you by the straps of your cloak. Everyone is watching. Another dream, she asks. Your eyes finally focus on hers. A white stone tower, lightning. What are you talking about? Zephyr asks, pulling away from the cart. Her tone is full of concerns. I saw a tower, lightning, I, I don't know what I saw. The Valco poses briefly before struggling. This is unexpected, Zephyr says. The Valco looks in a custom to surprises. Good munder, continue your task. Nichols takes some fighters and open the mine, keep that path clear at all costs. As both men begin to leave, she points to the cart and shouts, not a word of this. They nod on their way out. She turns to you and folka. Interesting, that is very interesting and it's even more interesting that I called it. This cart. I'm not sure why they are attacking but if the Dredge recaptures Peloer, he's dead. You guess if they take him. She cannot die. His immortality is more than a rumor. Dredge lives have no natural end but they can be killed. All except the immortal Sunder Peloer. They live forever. Zephyr nods but looks lost in thought. What happens if the Dredge recapture him? Without doubt they would wake him. He would have an army already fielded and his wrath would be unmatched. You thought your thoughts turned to the destruction of the Battle of Borsgard. The storm to the south and Dredge army to the north leaves us with one way out. The mines. Wait! Our way out is to sit in a hole in the ground. The Valkyrie give pathways there that will grant us escape. With all of these people it will be difficult. Why should I trust anything you say? How would you lie serve me in this moment? If the situation was not there why would I reveal secrets guarded by the council? She does seem more open than any Valkyrie or Mender you have ever met. If we go with you what is required? One we only have a couple of hours to move food and people to the mine. I'll be a door opening preparing preparing the way. Help load cars near the gates or warn the families and the houses of our immediate departure. Without waiting for a response Zephyr hurries away. You know we could always take Beloer's cart and make a break into the mountains. The of you re-sealed Beloer's cart. Of course the town in chaos is tempting. Makes you wonder what we might find in the Great Hall. We stick with the Valkyrie for now. Okay but a couple of hours won't let us do everything. Time to pick our poison. Two of us head to the ravens post. Okay Great Hall houses. Shall we go to the Great Hall? Oh yes definitely. You choose a few ravens of the half that are around to join you on your investigation of the Great Hall. The front door might be the easiest Valkyrie says but we could lift someone onto the roof and hit being under a knee without a trouble. You give it some thought. We don't sneak around like crats. Front door. The large doors to the Great Hall barely accommodate your frame as you and the others enter quietly. Half hall baskets of cups and plates, hay-potted crates with armor and weapons and rows of furs. And tapestries are everywhere. Just when you think no one is around you hear voices upstairs. Signal for the others to stop and listen. The room gets quiet and the voices become clear. Goodmander is talking to some of your ravens. I knew you would have problems with your kind. He says a raven response. Valkyrie, if you're dying as of. Rescue our fighters. Chatting up the stairs you find Goodmander and quite a few guards with blades at the backs of a half dozen tied up ravens. The guard captain is shocked and says are you here to steal too? We were making sure everyone was heading to the mine. The guard captain eyes you suspiciously but says you have done more good up at the houses but these thieves are the only other ones here. Valkyrie looks disgusted in them. Idiots. She says stealing from the very people we're trying to help. Why aren't we trying to do the same though? Goodmander watches you for a moment and says glad I got here before they had a chance to get away with anything. They're all yours now but we should all get to the mine. You grant an agreement and lead the ravens out of the door calling them all sorts of names. Once at the mine entrance one of the men nudges you with a smile he hands over a pilfer trinkets. That was funny. That was kind of very funny. Well that's a big big clan I have now under my banner. The mine shaft is cramped in more than once your broken horns knock against the rough ceiling or a timber. You follow Valkyrie Zephyr at the head of the caravan. She is lightning one of many bracketed torches along the way when shafts from the mouth of the mine reach you. The gates in the town did nothing to hold their advance. Goodmander and his men will slow them but it may not be enough. They have orders to collapse the opening if they're overwhelmed. Will you keep them from being overwhelmed? We're mercenaries not volunteers. No prize will cover the cost of us all dying in this mine shaft she says. I'll head back there if you want but if I die up there she looks at you. The torches will burn out the food will run out and then the real horror will start. We'll do it but we'll keep price later. Yes we will. She says we need to talk about many things you turn and shout. Ravens back to the top! Heading up the mine shaft is like swimming against the current. Frightened villages push forward and you barely have room to get past the yawks in the cart. Goodmander and his grim manner looks pleased to see you. No real plan. He says just kill as many as you can. The ravens around you smile at his words and begin to chant. I must admit I kind of like he's starting to groan me Goodman there is. Oh my oh yes let's level up shall we? Yes I will. Interesting whoa that's that's some heavy shield breaking let's take it. Oh and I have items how lovely what did they do? Knock back on strength attack of three plus two will kill plus one strength or this. No I'm taking Gormar statue. All right now that we have this guy we need this guy as well. Echil this one is absolutely insane. I I'm going to go with Zephyr. Fokker anyone else I want? What do you even do mate? Axe Trevor I don't need you thank you very much. Nicos no let's take Krumr I do believe he had a gigantic shield? No I'm mistaking him. How about Bersi weak source? Anyone I need to level? Zygbjorn yes please. Forge ahead sundering impact I'm going to go with sundering impact. Good job a very good job indeed oh look robust interesting or artillery strike. I think I'm going to go for the soft spots. That's cool let's go with this and we're going to take another point in shields because shields are important you need them cool. Now I don't believe we are ready to go. Let's see then uh oh those are dangerous. The gloomy things standing what gloomy thing? This one gloom warden well that's unpleasant. These are actually pretty damn tough. Let's get the gigantic Viking woman on the field oh my this is going to be so much fun. Allow me to greet you into the mines by slashing at you in the most wonderful ways possible. Whoa I did not expect that. I did not want that to happen either surprisingly enough. We're going to take a big swing out of yowls. Not this certainly not this. Three adjacent enemies yes please. Good very good that was as massive an attack as they come. Uh oh he's summoning friends I believe but I will not let him do whatever he's trying to do. No no no I think we're going to take care of the special little armor stats of yowls. Both of you doing the same thing don't you think that's kind of unpleasant taking shields and names as well. Gee that was rude and painful no worries I can do plenty of damage oh that was very good. Only what I don't like so far is that my fellows are oh runigale. Randomly creates runes of power in a central diameter area. Restore and analyze armor yeah I'm going to go with this actually. Let's see restores armor up to half of mendiscount willpower. All right let's do that. Nice that was that's an awesome ability. Time to take care of you dear boy. This is the end the end is near the end might make you tiny bit too queer. Is that offensive no let's take another swing at you. This fellow is big and I don't like him so I'm going to swing on him as much as possible. And now both of the unpleasant summoners are out. Just absolutely done with. Let's see this is not a bad swing but I'm going to kill him next turn. Seeing without armor he is nothing good day sir. Can I take some more of your armor away. It would appear that I can see I don't like this Vulcan is she's not nearly as useful as Juno. Oh cool even though she has white hair and white hair is as every anime knows awesome. Ah time to start swing actually I'm just going to kill you I'm not even going to start swing I'm just going to bury my why do you keep doing that I want two swings come on. That was just plain and necessary don't kill you guys. Yeah I think I will I'm going to move here. Oh not enough will power well we're going to change that very soon see done. Perfect and two extra renown for yours truly I feel like this is going to end pretty soon. Honestly when we first began this battle I expected that it would take on a very very but start but it was actually easy very very easy to my surprise not that I'm complaining of course let's take off your armor and then just completely murder you can I arrest yep. All right see you big guy what was your name gloom warden well you sure are gloomy. Why would you do that see berserkers are insane that's why no one likes a berserker you killed poor old man white dude creature yay. Yet berserker boberg keeps surprising me and not in the best ways.