Tip Tappers

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Yes and it looks so pretty. I'm glad the focus is on exploration and open-world adventuring this time, I have missed that style of Zelda since Link to the Past and the original on NES. As much as I love the Oracle series and the 3D games they're super railroaded in terms of plot progression and exploration and what I liked a lot about the original Zelda (and to a lesser extent ALttP) was that your ability to explore and adventure was tied to your skill as a player and Link's strength rather than having the right item to get past <insert exploration obstacle here>.

You could do the dungeons in almost any order and exploring the overworld felt rewarding and worth your time because 1) there was no plot direction always telling you what you should do next and 2) you could explore as long as you could survive, not just as far as your equipment allowed. Getting an item was all about "cool, I've got another weapon in my arsenal so now I can fight monsters and adventure better" rather than "great, I have this item now so I can finally go solve all the puzzles I had to walk by for the most of this dungeon because I hadn't fought the miniboss yet." Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword have been some of the worst offenders here. I liked using the Spinner, for example, because it was fun. But when I got it I didn't feel like I had become any stronger or that I had become a better adventurer.

I feel like that sense of open adventure and exploration has been lost in recent Zelda games and I'm glad it's coming back. The ability to structure your narrative around a set series of dungeons lets you do more effective storytelling and there's a different but equally powerful sense of progression from that, but I prefer letting the player's sense of exploratory curiosity take hold of the plot rather than having the game tell you what you should be curious about. Hopefully this new one delivers! I also don't have a Wii U though, so maybe I'll have to get on that NX life or whatever.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

It's all done. Sorry for the lateness again, guys. I work in news so I can have huge fluctuations in my work schedule at a moment's notice, although most of the time I'm not that busy. You just never know!

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Oliver raised an eyebrow as Sigurd simply strolled up and flatly questioned the two shady men at the bar. The knight must have been quite confident in his skills (and his investigative authority) to so brusquely get to the point, but the old innkeeper simply scoffed and paced away nonchalantly while whistling a tune. It would be better not to involve himself in such matters... but that didn't mean he wasn't going to listen. He just had to look like he wasn't listening. He began shifting around glasses on the shelf for no reason, but appeared quite engrossed in his work.

The two gentleman were not quite as amused as Oliver when it came to Sigurd's straightforwardness. The man on the left was the more heavy-set of the two, and certainly more imposing as well. His grizzled mug was dotted by various scars and the beginnings of an intricate tribal tattoo could be seen around his lower neck, although the majority of it was obscured by his clothing so Sigurd was unable to see what the tattoo was depicting. His hand crept to the hilt of his longsword as Sigurd finished asking his question, and he seemed like the sort of man who would actually be gutsy enough to draw it.

"That's no business of yours, tin can. I don't recognize that armor. Are you new in town? Viscen's new errand boy?" he jeered, his smug grin doing nothing to offset the fierceness of his gaze. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, but a swift kick in the shin from his friend seemed to calm him down. Reluctantly he removed his hand from his sword, although not without shooting a very cold stare at his partner before doing so. The other man was a little skinnier and lankier than the first, and despite not looking scarier, he was obviously the uglier of the two, the main factor of which likely came down to his grotesque hook-like nose and beady eyes. Unlike his partner's longsword, which seemed battleworn and very well-used, this man's weapon looked like it hadn't been drawn in quite some time. It would seem likely that the ugly one outranked the grizzled mercenary due to how easy it was for him to defuse the whole situation, but it was hard to tell.

"Terribly sorry about my associate here, sir. He's from the South Shore, and sea rats like him have no idea how to treat a knight in uniform, apparently." There was quite a bit of ire in that last "apparently," but the mercenary simply scoffed and shrugged, returning to his drink and rather rudely paying the other two no attention at all. "As far as our meeting with the Subrosian, well, you see that's actually quite embarrassing, but I'm sure upon hearing the full story you'll understand completely, sir," he chuckled. Unlike Viscen's obvious feigned politeness, this ugly fellow seemed to be quite charismatic and articulate when he wanted to be.

"You see, two days ago my associate and I had a few too many drinks, and we got into a heated discussion with that Subrosian fellow over certain... cultural differences. I won't go into detail, as things were said that I'm not particularly proud of. As the situation escalated and it seemed an altercation was likely to occur, we politely excused ourselves from the company of the inn and went somewhere more private to resolve our differences," explained the ugly yet charming man, with a sigh. "Before we could even draw our weapons, however, I noticed the innkeeper hiding in the shadow of the back door, listening in on our discussion. Embarrassed that we'd caused such a scene in front of the proprietor of this fine establishment, my associate and I bid the Subrosian good night and we went our separate ways. Can't say I've seen him since," he finished, with a sly shrug. Oliver was impressed. For a lie he had just made up on the spot, that all actually seemed quite believable, and his delivery seemed genuine.

Meanwhile, the Business Scrub sitting next to Syna made quick work of his glass of water, and promptly asked Oliver for another, although the innkeeper once again seemed content to ignore him in favor of listening in on Sigurd's conversation. Looking at him, it was obvious to see why the scrub was so thirsty. The vibrant green leaves that most scrubs usually flaunted had begun to wither into a darker brown, and the brown bark of his body had even shown signs of graying. It was as if he hadn't had anything to drink for days, which, for a race of plant people, must have been torturous. Despite Syna's apparently lack of interest in him, his eyes widened as he got a good look at her rings and the robes she wore.

"Excuse me, miss," he interrupted, weakly tapping the apprentice mage on the shoulder. While the scrubs were already known for their nasally, airy voices and manner of speaking, this one seemed to have an especially wheezy voice. "You seem to be a sorceress of some kind, by the looks of those rings. Do you take mercenary work? I've recently run into some trouble while out on the road and I'm looking for protection," he asked. "I was ambushed by brigands on our way to Rauru from Lynna City. They took my supplies, my wagon, and all my money. I barely made it here alive. Nasty business," concluded the scrub, shaking his head. "I've made the trip many times too, and never once have I run into bandits like these. I used to travel with this Subrosian trail guide, a nice young fellow, if a bit strange, but this time I thought I would go it alone and save some money. Look what happened! Oh, Treko, you old fool you..." he trailed off, his concentration broken by the sound of Oliver pouring him another glass of water, which he pounced on as quickly as the last.

The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle (Oracle Series, High Casual)

Still looking for applicants.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

I'll bump the interest check again, I guess. I'm new to roleplaying on the guild so it's not like I know people I can ask to join... kind of a bummer, I think I'm doing a good job and you guys are great. What a shame!

Working on a post right now!!!!!

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Ack! Unexpectedly busy Sunday. I will definitely, for sure post tomorrow. Sorry guys.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Posting tonight.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Don't sweat it. I'm not a stickler for length, I just want substance and quality. I should have posted earlier anyway but hey, it's up now.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Oliver was leaning over the porch railing when Sigurd and Syna approached the inn, eagerly trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on around the fountain but too worried to leave the inn unattended, especially with all the suspicious noontime drinkers that crowded the bar. He composed himself a bit as Sigurd drew closer, as the knight seemed unfamiliar; Oliver knew most every soldier stationed in Rauru by now (many of them were regulars at the bar) so the appearance of one such uniquely armored knight with a non-standard issue greatsword left him a bit uneasy. Hopefully this wasn't one of Viscen's enforcers come to rough him up for answers.

Syna, on the other hand, seemed a little too familiar. He'd heard stories of a witch's apprentice with a distinct lack of kind things to say, and he recognized the distinct white robe as well; it was likely she'd been a customer before, but with how many strange characters came through it was hard to recall exactly.

"I'd be careful who you show those rings to. I saw one of those weasely Subrosian folks walk into town just yesterday, wearing some rings just like those. You wouldn't want people thinking you two are in cahoots 'cause I'm sure he's up to no good," mused Oliver, casually, as the girl turned to enter the inn. "Word to the wise; never trust a Subrosian without a shovel in his hand." Oliver's warning spoke to the suspicious reputation that Subrosians tended to hold in Labrynna. You couldn't really blame them; after all, if someone told you that there was a race of hooded hermit people that came from an underground realm, ate lava and used colored chunks of ore as their currency, you would be suspicious too. Many Labrynnans had never seen a Subrosian with their own eyes, let alone gotten to know one. The fact that most of the Subrosians on the continent were either migrant mine workers or uneducated vagrants didn't help matters in the slightest.

Syna would enter the bar to find it a little crowded. The bar especially seemed nearly full up with daytime drinkers, but two seats appeared to be open; one was between a Goron with the look of a traveling merchant and a pair of rather shady looking gentleman in dark somewhat tattered clothes with two longswords proudly displayed on their outer hips. The other was at the end of the bar, adjacent to a Business Scrub clamoring loudly for another cup of water, although his requests seemed to be completely inert on the young female bartender who had her hands full scrubbing an empty mug and looking blankly off into the distance. Of course, there were many empty booths and tables around the common room to choose from, but where's the fun in that?

Meanwhile, Oliver wasted no time in questioning Sigurd on the porch, eager to snag a few details on the incident before Viscen came around and told everyone to hush up about it. "So I assume Viscen has you out cracking heads to try to figure who killed that poor knight, huh. Well, if you've come to check my inn for lowlifes and such, I can't say I've noticed anyone too suspicious here aside from that Subrosian fellow, and he checked out yesterday," explained Oliver. "It may interest you to know, however, that those two colorful characters with the longswords on their hips met with that Subrosian guy in the alley behind the inn two days ago, but they still haven't checked out yet," he continued, gesturing to the two shady looking gentlemen in question (who could be seen through the doorway). "I didn't catch what they were talking about, but considering they scurried off when they realized I was out there too I bet it was something they wanted to keep secret."

Oliver, pushed off the railing with a grunt of exertion, knowing his old body had a long day ahead of him yet. He'd been away from the bar far too long already, and he half-suspected that his part-timer had somehow burned the place down by now. "Feel free to use my tavern to 'pursue this lead', but if things are about to get messy, take it outside. I have enough trouble cleaning up after the drunks anyway," sighed Oliver, shaking his head as he passed through the doorway and quickly made his way behind the bar to grab as glass of the water for the poor parched Business Scrub.

~The Legend of Zelda: The False Oracle~

Yeah I was planning to get it done soonish, was kind of busy all yesterday with work. Definitely by the end of the day.