Posted April 10, 2024
Root thread
(SPOILER WARNING: THE WHOLE MAIN PLOT OF THE GAME)
The Bard's Tale (2004)
The Bard arrives at The Drunken Rat tavern in the village of Houton, trying to get something to eat. The landlady asks him to see to her rat problem in the cellar and the Bard, with the help of an old man appearing out of nowhere and teaching him a summoning spell-song, manages to deal with it. As the Bard exits the tavern he meets again the old man who tells him that if he wants more summoning spell songs, he should look for a trow called Bannafeet in the nearby Fairyhaunt Woods. Bannafeet tells the Bard that, in return for the song, he wants the Bard to set his friend (Ketill Swart) free from the village’s sheriff’s jail, located in the Houton Forest. After that, Bannafeet gives him another summoning spell-song.
When the Bard returns to Houton, he meets again the old man, who tells him that if he wants to finds even stronger spells, he has to meet Bodb in Kirkwall, who is a member of the same order as the old man. When trying to leave Houton, the sheriff stops the Bard and demands that the Bard captures again Ketill Swart, so the Bard goes to Neversdale, captures him and brings him to the sheriff, who puts him back in jail. The Bard then continues his way to the town of Kirkwall. In Kirkwall he meets not one, but four Bodbs, who, with their combined song, open a door for him, which leads the Bard to the Temple of Princess Caleigh. On the way to the Temple, a fifth Bodb tells the Bard that he is the Chosen One who will rescue the Princess from her imprisonment on top of a tower. The Bard not only isn’t eager for this, but also makes fun of the whole “Chosen One” idea. He had met two dead Chosen Ones already on his way here. The Bard eventually changes his mind, after Bodb tells him that the Princess is very rich and very beautiful.
In the Temple, the other four Bodbs try to summon an image of Caleigh, with a combined song, in order for Caleigh to communicate with the Bard, to share information about a way to set her free. But one of the Bodbs says that he lost his bell to Farmer Finn while gambling. As the Bard meets Farmer Finn, the latter’s daughter stops the Bard, saying that he had promised to marry her! After that, you find her grieving ex-boyfriend, Connor, and manage to rekindle their relationship. Then a happy Farmer Finn tells the Bard that he had hung the bell around the neck of an old horse, because it is the meanest creature he’s ever met, so that he would get away from it whenever he heard it coming. After the Bard kills the old horse, Farmer Finn appears saying that the Bard killed it at the ground where the villagers used to perform executions and sacrifices on, in the old days, and he adds that he’ll come back at night to bury it.
The Bard then takes the bell to the Bodbs, to complete the summoning song. Caleigh’s image appears and tells the Bard to go to Highlands Park and get a lute from a trow, which he will need further on. After returning the lute to the Temple, Princess Caleigh tells the Bard that he has to go to 3 Towers in order to kill the guardian who is in each of them. And that this is the only way for their life essences to be destroyed, so that they will have no more power over the Tower where she is imprisoned at.
As the Bard goes to the first tower (the Forest Tower), a cutscene shows that Princess Caleigh is imprisoned in a tower in the city of Dounby, by a mage named Fionnaoch. As the latter learns that the Bard approaches the Forest Tower, he awakens that tower’s guardian (Herne) and warns him about the Bard. The Bard, using the lute, enters the Forest Tower and kills Herne. Princess Caleigh appears and tells the Bard that he must return to Kirkwall and meet the Bodbs again, so that they will tell him where to get another musical instrument, with which he will be able to enter the second Tower and face the second guardian.
Returning to Kirkwall, the Bard finds it to be under attack by an undead centaur. Apparently, as Farmer Finn went at night to bury the old horse, killed by the Bard in that specific spot, he was merged with it. One of the Bodbs, before he gets killed by the centaur, tells the Bard to travel through the Mountain Pass (where he’ll find another musical instrument) to the Mountain Tower. Meanwhile in Dounby, mage Fionnaoch awakens the guardian of the Mountain Tower, Lugh. The Bard meets another dead Chosen One on his way. The Bard kills Lugh on top of the Mountain Tower and Princess Caleigh appears and tells the Bard that the Island Tower is next, but the Bard has to go to the city of Dounby first, in order to meet Dugan, who will tell the Bard where to find the musical instrument to open that Tower.
The Bard arrives at the city of Dounby, where he sees another 14 Chosen Ones, locked up in a cell by the local sheriff, for their own safety! He finds Dugan in West Dounby, who tells the Bard to travel to Greenlands and get the Shadow Axe, which will help him get into the Island Tower, from McRath. The Bard finds McRath in Greenlands, and also kills the centaur (who came all the way here from Kirkwall), but he doesn’t understand what McRath says, so they return to Dounby in case Dugan is able to explain McRath’s speech. Dugan explains that McRath speaks an ancient Scottish tongue and that the Bard has to go to McRath’s dungeon, which is under what’s left of McRaths’ old castle, and get the Shadow Axe.
After getting the Shadow Axe, the Bard goes to the town of Stromness, which is overrun by undead Vikings. He then passes through the Firbolg Mines and launches a raft. He passes through an underground river and reaches the Finfolk caverns. And then passes through the Narrow Sea and finally reaches the Island Tower. Meanwhile in Dounby, mage Fionnaoch awakens the third guardian, that of the Island Tower, Mannanan. The Bard, using the Shadow Axe as a guitar, enters the Island Tower and kills Mannanan atop the Island Tower. Then Princess Caleigh appears and gives the Bard air transportation, so that he can come to Dounby Tower, where she is imprisoned.
Atop Dounby Tower the Bard enters Fionnaoch’s chamber and meets Fionnaoch and Princess Caleigh. There Fionnaoch accuses Caleigh that she is the root of all evil and that she had spread darkness 1000 years ago. Finally she was imprisoned in that tower by 4 wizards, for the lands to be protected, and that in these 1000 years she was looking for a “Chosen One” to lure him to get her free. The Bard doesn’t believe the stories and so he is offered a choice: to side with one of them (thus fighting the other), or leave them to their dispute and leave the place.
If sides with Caleigh, the Bard kills Fionnaoch and ends up being rich and living happily ever after with his evil bride, while the rest of the world becomes undead and zombies.
If sides with Fionnaoch, Caleigh tells the Bard that she wants a first and last kiss from him. As he touches the spot where she is imprisoned at, she breaks free and the fight ensues. After killing her, the world is safe and returns to normal, with the Bard ending up being poor again and back outside a bar summoning another rat to sneak inside in an attempt to gain another free meal.
If he just leaves the place (which is more fitting to his personality), the Bard ends up at a bar partying with some undead friends he has made.
(SPOILER WARNING: THE WHOLE MAIN PLOT OF THE GAME)
The Bard's Tale (2004)
The Bard arrives at The Drunken Rat tavern in the village of Houton, trying to get something to eat. The landlady asks him to see to her rat problem in the cellar and the Bard, with the help of an old man appearing out of nowhere and teaching him a summoning spell-song, manages to deal with it. As the Bard exits the tavern he meets again the old man who tells him that if he wants more summoning spell songs, he should look for a trow called Bannafeet in the nearby Fairyhaunt Woods. Bannafeet tells the Bard that, in return for the song, he wants the Bard to set his friend (Ketill Swart) free from the village’s sheriff’s jail, located in the Houton Forest. After that, Bannafeet gives him another summoning spell-song.
When the Bard returns to Houton, he meets again the old man, who tells him that if he wants to finds even stronger spells, he has to meet Bodb in Kirkwall, who is a member of the same order as the old man. When trying to leave Houton, the sheriff stops the Bard and demands that the Bard captures again Ketill Swart, so the Bard goes to Neversdale, captures him and brings him to the sheriff, who puts him back in jail. The Bard then continues his way to the town of Kirkwall. In Kirkwall he meets not one, but four Bodbs, who, with their combined song, open a door for him, which leads the Bard to the Temple of Princess Caleigh. On the way to the Temple, a fifth Bodb tells the Bard that he is the Chosen One who will rescue the Princess from her imprisonment on top of a tower. The Bard not only isn’t eager for this, but also makes fun of the whole “Chosen One” idea. He had met two dead Chosen Ones already on his way here. The Bard eventually changes his mind, after Bodb tells him that the Princess is very rich and very beautiful.
In the Temple, the other four Bodbs try to summon an image of Caleigh, with a combined song, in order for Caleigh to communicate with the Bard, to share information about a way to set her free. But one of the Bodbs says that he lost his bell to Farmer Finn while gambling. As the Bard meets Farmer Finn, the latter’s daughter stops the Bard, saying that he had promised to marry her! After that, you find her grieving ex-boyfriend, Connor, and manage to rekindle their relationship. Then a happy Farmer Finn tells the Bard that he had hung the bell around the neck of an old horse, because it is the meanest creature he’s ever met, so that he would get away from it whenever he heard it coming. After the Bard kills the old horse, Farmer Finn appears saying that the Bard killed it at the ground where the villagers used to perform executions and sacrifices on, in the old days, and he adds that he’ll come back at night to bury it.
The Bard then takes the bell to the Bodbs, to complete the summoning song. Caleigh’s image appears and tells the Bard to go to Highlands Park and get a lute from a trow, which he will need further on. After returning the lute to the Temple, Princess Caleigh tells the Bard that he has to go to 3 Towers in order to kill the guardian who is in each of them. And that this is the only way for their life essences to be destroyed, so that they will have no more power over the Tower where she is imprisoned at.
As the Bard goes to the first tower (the Forest Tower), a cutscene shows that Princess Caleigh is imprisoned in a tower in the city of Dounby, by a mage named Fionnaoch. As the latter learns that the Bard approaches the Forest Tower, he awakens that tower’s guardian (Herne) and warns him about the Bard. The Bard, using the lute, enters the Forest Tower and kills Herne. Princess Caleigh appears and tells the Bard that he must return to Kirkwall and meet the Bodbs again, so that they will tell him where to get another musical instrument, with which he will be able to enter the second Tower and face the second guardian.
Returning to Kirkwall, the Bard finds it to be under attack by an undead centaur. Apparently, as Farmer Finn went at night to bury the old horse, killed by the Bard in that specific spot, he was merged with it. One of the Bodbs, before he gets killed by the centaur, tells the Bard to travel through the Mountain Pass (where he’ll find another musical instrument) to the Mountain Tower. Meanwhile in Dounby, mage Fionnaoch awakens the guardian of the Mountain Tower, Lugh. The Bard meets another dead Chosen One on his way. The Bard kills Lugh on top of the Mountain Tower and Princess Caleigh appears and tells the Bard that the Island Tower is next, but the Bard has to go to the city of Dounby first, in order to meet Dugan, who will tell the Bard where to find the musical instrument to open that Tower.
The Bard arrives at the city of Dounby, where he sees another 14 Chosen Ones, locked up in a cell by the local sheriff, for their own safety! He finds Dugan in West Dounby, who tells the Bard to travel to Greenlands and get the Shadow Axe, which will help him get into the Island Tower, from McRath. The Bard finds McRath in Greenlands, and also kills the centaur (who came all the way here from Kirkwall), but he doesn’t understand what McRath says, so they return to Dounby in case Dugan is able to explain McRath’s speech. Dugan explains that McRath speaks an ancient Scottish tongue and that the Bard has to go to McRath’s dungeon, which is under what’s left of McRaths’ old castle, and get the Shadow Axe.
After getting the Shadow Axe, the Bard goes to the town of Stromness, which is overrun by undead Vikings. He then passes through the Firbolg Mines and launches a raft. He passes through an underground river and reaches the Finfolk caverns. And then passes through the Narrow Sea and finally reaches the Island Tower. Meanwhile in Dounby, mage Fionnaoch awakens the third guardian, that of the Island Tower, Mannanan. The Bard, using the Shadow Axe as a guitar, enters the Island Tower and kills Mannanan atop the Island Tower. Then Princess Caleigh appears and gives the Bard air transportation, so that he can come to Dounby Tower, where she is imprisoned.
Atop Dounby Tower the Bard enters Fionnaoch’s chamber and meets Fionnaoch and Princess Caleigh. There Fionnaoch accuses Caleigh that she is the root of all evil and that she had spread darkness 1000 years ago. Finally she was imprisoned in that tower by 4 wizards, for the lands to be protected, and that in these 1000 years she was looking for a “Chosen One” to lure him to get her free. The Bard doesn’t believe the stories and so he is offered a choice: to side with one of them (thus fighting the other), or leave them to their dispute and leave the place.
If sides with Caleigh, the Bard kills Fionnaoch and ends up being rich and living happily ever after with his evil bride, while the rest of the world becomes undead and zombies.
If sides with Fionnaoch, Caleigh tells the Bard that she wants a first and last kiss from him. As he touches the spot where she is imprisoned at, she breaks free and the fight ensues. After killing her, the world is safe and returns to normal, with the Bard ending up being poor again and back outside a bar summoning another rat to sneak inside in an attempt to gain another free meal.
If he just leaves the place (which is more fitting to his personality), the Bard ends up at a bar partying with some undead friends he has made.
Post edited April 11, 2024 by CarChris
