holoz0r plays Pillars of Eternity - Part XIX - The Flames that Whisper Cavern

The cave isn't just any cave. It is named. It is the "Flames-That-Whisper Upper Cavern", suggesting there may be a lower cavern. This is okay by me, provided that Gherk and his party can slaughter whatever is inside, gain more strength, and then, in turn, slaughter even more powerful stuff.

The place is ridden with Ogres, just like the exterior, and also ridden with traps. I can disarm these, but not before triggering a few and severely injuring several of my party members.

Remember when the cave was called the upper cavern? There's a hole in the ground, so I descend, straight into combat. There's a bunch of stuff to fight, unpronounceable stuff, mainly. They die. So does Durance, because he's a shitty healer. I do nothing to change this face, and instead, rest among the corpses of the monsters I just barely managed to kill.

There's some more monsters throughout this cave network, and I fight my way through them, this time, actively looking out for traps as I proceed. I find a few, gaining some precious XP as I disarm them. I finally level up after unlocking some chests, because chests being unlocked give you a significant amount of XP in Pillars of Eternity.

Sagani is kicking ass with the Stormbow, and this is fantastic, because when she levels up, its going to be a constant massacre caused my lightning.

The lower level of the cave is almost identical to the first, but there doesn't seem to be a 'point' to the level. I climb the stairs and find myself at the point. I've gone in the wrong way, have a chat with the Ogre Matron, and end up in combat with her and her friends.

It is a long battle, but I eventually emerge victorious and obtain some more treasure. At last, everyone has leveled up again.

They're finally in double digits, level 10, for everybody! I fight my way through the first level of the dungeon, which gives me the impression that for the Ogres, being stabbed in the back mustn't feel very nice .I relish in the fact that I can stab them in the back, and pretend that I am escaping the cave.

I return to town, and engage in more combat. This time with those guys who were providing 'offerings' to the bottom of the lake. They all die, and I extort the dwarf who wanted his precious armor back from them for lots of sweet coin. I don't feel guilty one bit. I'm on the road to riches and strength, and it is a road paved with pressuring NPCs for all of the quest rewards I can possibly extract from them.

I meet a lady who has an ore-detection device, and she suggests I travel North to detect some ore. I agree to do so, and rest; before heading out again.