Lh'owon calling (To the cyborgs of death): Let's Play Marathon 2: Durandal.

[chiasaur11]

Well, here we are. The center of a centuries old civilization, the thing I'd been killing through an army to get to. And of course there'd be lava between me and it.


Locked too. Of all the stupid things to slow down some heroics, a locked door is kind of disappointing. Well, if the thing doesn't unlock, copious use of explosives should settle things.


Ah, controls for the lava moat. Dinged easily enough to a solid bit of force.


A few old myths were cataloged beside the thing. A few bits about a lost clan, godlike intelligences, and other bits. Just what Durandal was looking for. Probably not a true word in it, but that's not my problem.



My problem was the fact the last bits of the Pfhor garrison were sending their compilers to break into the fort. Where Durandal saw information, they saw a place to defend against any more attacks until reinforcements hit.

I saw it as a way to take a five minute break from getting shot at, and they weren't taking that from me.


Looked like the bit with the switch lowered the lava. The door, however, stubbornly refused to open despite explosive force.


A trip through lava and the remnants of the garrison found me the switch...

And a second shotgun. Durandal isn't generous normally, but this was a nice little gift. Mite early for Christmas, but since we'll all be dead long before then, well, an early present makes sense.


Ah, joy. An empire was finally taking an interest in us. We were hard pressed with every edge we could get on a third rate bunch of drop outs. And now we were going to see what the elites were like.


Durandal interrupted my little reverie. Right. To work.


And I'm in. The first sapient being in years to see the graves of a great civilization.


Well, Durandal was keeping the humans and S'pht from Boomer safe. Might as well enjoy the respite.

[Artanis]

This game lets you dual-wield shotguns?

*runs to the d/l site*

[chiasaur11]

This game lets you dual-wield shotguns?

*runs to the d/l site*

It's also got online co-op. Which means up to four shotguns firing at once, easily.

So, a couple questions for the audience at home:

1) The Tycho bit. How was it, do you want more side notes or just the main story, do you want to see all the chapter art, that kind of thing.

2) Which mods would you suggest. I'm considering playing Rubicon at some point. Any other recommendations or warnings?

[Poison_Fish]

It's also got online co-op. Which means up to four shotguns firing at once, easily.

So, a couple questions for the audience at home:

1) The Tycho bit. How was it, do you want more side notes or just the main story, do you want to see all the chapter art, that kind of thing.

2) Which mods would you suggest. I'm considering playing Rubicon at some point. Any other recommendations or warnings?

Marathon Evil is highly suggested.

[chiasaur11]

Marathon Evil is highly suggested.

Just tried.

Enemies that are super fast, not interrupted, and take two shotgun rounds to the face to down and kill you in seconds on kindergarten?

Bad enough.

Fusion blasts from nowhere with no real warnings that take out the tiny bit of health I had left and terminals that have none of the zest of Durandal, or even Leela?

I uninstalled. If I shoot something with a shotgun on kindergarten, it should flipping die. I don't mind a challenge, but when all my weapons feel like peashooters, that's it.

[Poison_Fish]

Just tried.

Enemies that are super fast, not interrupted, and take two shotgun rounds to the face to down and kill you in seconds on kindergarten?

Bad enough.

Fusion blasts from nowhere with no real warnings that take out the tiny bit of health I had left and terminals that have none of the zest of Durandal, or even Leela?

I uninstalled. If I shoot something with a shotgun on kindergarten, it should flipping die. I don't mind a challenge, but when all my weapons feel like peashooters, that's it.

Really? I never had issues with it, and with the devlins shotguns were usually a good answer and stunned them. Might have been a later or earlier version where something got messed up.

Regardless, what I really liked from Evil were the weapons. I may be thinking back on nostalgia glasses though, I haven't abandoned that thought. Honestly though the Devlins got stunned by stuff back when I played it.

Failing that then, and since rubicon has been mentioned... two mods I liked were Excalibur: Morgana's revenge and Tempus Irae. Tempus Irae because it felt fairly classy and I got into the story. Excalibur for TIME TRAVELING WACKINESS and beating up aliens with a stone spear.

[chiasaur11]

Really? I never had issues with it, and with the devlins shotguns were usually a good answer and stunned them. Might have been a later or earlier version where something got messed up.

Regardless, what I really liked from Evil were the weapons. I may be thinking back on nostalgia glasses though, I haven't abandoned that thought. Honestly though the Devlins got stunned by stuff back when I played it.

Failing that then, and since rubicon has been mentioned... two mods I liked were Excalibur: Morgana's revenge and Tempus Irae. Tempus Irae because it felt fairly classy and I got into the story. Excalibur for TIME TRAVELING WACKINESS and beating up aliens with a stone spear.

Fair enough.

I just got bugged enough at the death trap I quit before I got any nifty new weapons. Probably would have liked it at least a tad more had I persisted.

[chiasaur11]

So, the citidel. More of the same, I suppose. Things wanting to kill me, terrors beyond measure. And another reason to wish I'd never left the civil wars of Mars.



Oh.

It was beautiful. I knew the compilers were advanced. Until now, though, I hadn't realized just how much they'd lost under the Pfhor.



Well, I wasn't here to go sightseeing. Supposedly, they'd buried some useful information somewhere in here.

I saw some of the swamp cleaners from earlier standing stock still. I walked as softly as I could past them. No sense in turning the one area of Lh'owon not crawling with enemy troops into a new kind of bloodbath.


Durandal filled me in a tad more on the local situation. Old data's better than nothing, I guess. And it was a break from massed firepower.


Durandal dropped some supplies. Well, whatever's happening with battle group seven, it's probably getting worse. I probably should find the old computers.


Found them after a little searching. A few Pfhor cyborgs were being totaled by defensive systems. The systems must have busted from the explosions, since they didn't cause any trouble when I took a look at the local data.



Well, it was something, at least. Not what Durandal wanted now, probably, but given past patterns I had no way to be sure. He'd spent time writing new lyrics to screaming electric death orchestra songs while the Marathon was under assault, after all.



Further searching found a specimen room. Seems the little reveal about non cybernetic life had made the S'pht a mite more curious about the local fauna. Might have a couple of funny anecdotes for Durandal to spend the next few years dispensing in place of actual instructions.






Bullseye. Not much practical information, but there were a couple of things. The "Elders" sounded impressive, at least. I passed what I had to Durandal.


We were getting hammered. Seven to one was bad odds even without the battleship to consider, and they were sending troops to the surface to retake the garrison.

And they probably wouldn't forget about me in the confusion.

[chiasaur11]

Ah. More sewer muck. My favorite thing in the world. Well, Durandal wants S'pht myth...



Yes, as a matter of fact, he does. Well, topside there was both an abundence of art and an absence of Pfhor. Keep that trend up, and I'll live a happy, brief life until battle group seven comes for us all.



Happened sooner than I thought. The first hunter that teleported in dinged the armor. The second almost finished me off. If they'd been expecting trouble, I'd be dead.

As is, I got moving.





Got it. Something something clans, something something elders, something something I-don't-care. If Durandal can sort this out, good for him. I'll just try to stay alive.


A task I was not doing especially well at. I barely dealt with a couple of rear vanguard troops who'd thought there was no way someone would be stupid enough to try to access a terminal when they'd already sent elite troops to the area. I hoped Durandal was doing better.

As it turns out, Durandal was doing worse. Knew a last stand had to happen some time. And the only thing left of the Marathon would be the list of Pfhor crewmen lost in the taking of Lh'owon. Might as well add a few more names to the list before I die.

[chiasaur11]

Falling a good thousand feet hurts even with inertial dampeners and energy shields. Doing it without them?

Suicide. Meaning the garrison beaming in would need to wait a bit to keep tailing me. Only things down here were cleaners and the floating gasbags I'd seen steadily throughout the visit here. I walked by. Killing harmless creatures has always been bad luck. I have more than enough of that already.


Case in point.

It was a doomed mission from the start, really. Not that I knew it until Durandal mentioned the size of Battle Group seven, but...

At best we'd be a delay. Durandal thought there was a way out, but...

He's always been insane. I'm trying not to be, which means I'd better come to terms with the futility of this job.


A grenade bought me a few seconds by knocking one of the cleaners into lava. I paused to watch it fall. It seemed to go on forever.

I moved on as quickly as I could.


Right into some of the Pfhor's disposable cyborgs. No other troopers, at least. Seemed the Pfhor wanted the same technical data Durandal was after.

Or they hate me. Personally.






And it's more information I don't understand. At least it got me a signal boost.


I got to the nearest place with a good terminal and tried to signal Durandal. It was looking like staying here with armies of cyborgs after me was a bad idea.

Of course, whatever Durandal had in mind was probably a worse idea.


The humbling of Battle Group Seven?

And you've complimented me on my capacity for violence.

It looks like I'll get the pleasure of seeing Durandal die. Just wish I could still enjoy it.

[Artanis]

*eyes glaze over trying to read the names*

Seriously, it's like an entire game full of Mmrnmhrm

[chiasaur11]

*eyes glaze over trying to read the names*

Seriously, it's like an entire game full of Mmrnmhrm

Yeah.

The Pfhor, at least, don't have random apostrophes. The compilers, though...

Eesh.

So, as I get in the mood for asking often enough:

What am I doing right, what am I doing wrong, is the main character consistent, you know, all the basic questions.

[Celesyne]

Down right freakin amazing. Only one question, ar you planning on doing an Infinity Lets Play to finish off the series?

[chiasaur11]

Down right freakin amazing. Only one question, ar you planning on doing an Infinity Lets Play to finish off the series?

Definitely.

[Terraoblivion]

He seems fairly consistent to me. Bungie needs some serious punishment for the compiler names. Those things are freaking impossible to read.

[chiasaur11]

Back to the old Pfhor ship.

Durandal'd kept busy, it seemed. Medical stations installed, new paint job...

Only thing in common with the old design was the fact it was swarming with Pfhor. (Not, I'm sure, Durandal's design goal).


And the same old routine with Durandal. Go to a major disaster site, pull off a miracle, come far nearer death than I'd like, repeat.

Well, less so on the repeat this time.


They were sending in the best they had. Dozens of elite troopers. I readied for more trouble than I had in taking this place in the first place.


Hours passed. Hours with the steady rhythm of dual Waste-Ms pounding the invasion force. Hours before the bulkhead buckled and I had to run or suck vacuum.


And I ran into something I'd hoped to avoid. The military units the Pfhor save for the worst ground engagements. A hunter, ten, fifteen feet tall. Armed with far more plasma than is healthy for anyone to come into contact with.


And standing in the middle of a bunch of highly volatile organic explosives. A few fusion bursts made to whole room detonate. A thick wall meant I ducked the bulk of the explosion, but the noise was drawing more attention. I kept moving. Every second the Pfhor were tracking me was a second they weren't slaughtering helpless members of the Marathon's crew.


Tycho managed to find me when I tried to get a status update from Durandal. He must be confusing me with someone who thought he had a chance of surviving this mess. I'd known I was a dead man since the first bombs hit Tau Ceti 17 years ago. All I'd been doing for 17 years now was delaying the inevitable.


It had worked so far. That last bit of slowdown meant Durandal could get the rocket launcher to my position. And it meant the troopers following me were in for an unfortunate surprise.


Durandal didn't seem to be doing good.

I expected his humbling to be more satisfying.

[chiasaur11]

And it seems "create a diversion" once again means "get shot at. A lot." They were even sending in Enforcers to keep the rest of the forces in line.


A good thing, I suppose, since they tended to incinerate their own troops, but the charred corpses in the hallways did nothing to bring back the tiny bit of optimism I had when this mess started. The Pfhor were sending everything they had into this one. Joy of joys.


And then there's Tycho.

I thought dealing with Durandal had taught me just how much I could hate a collection of ones and zeroes. I was wrong. And now he was bringing up Tau Ceti and the murder of every man woman and child just to remind me he can kill me?

Every two bit trooper on this ship is able to do that, Tycho.


No sense in worrying about the long list of those you've failed already. Just try to help the few left alive. Durandal'd installed battleship level chargers, and with the guns down, I was the only one who'd be able to use them.


Needed the boost, as it turned out. Tycho, or Tfear, or some other Pfhor commander had been making larger combat cyborgs. With built in flamethrowers.


Durandal had a warning as I ran. One I already knew.

If I'm a step ahead of Durandal...

I didn't like the implications.

[chiasaur11]

Good news. Well, good from the point of view of a suicidal lunatic, primarily, but...

Well, if the Pfhor were following me all over the @&#*&*ing ship, at least they weren't going after the guys evacuating to the surface.

On the other hand, it seems Tycho now hated me personally. Which meant this mess at least ending quick was right out. He was going to make sure I suffered if I was brought in alive from the sound of things. I decided to try to get a map of the area. It'd be something, at least.


****. **** **** **** ****. ****!

Durandal's breaking down just when I need reliable teleporting the most. Which means I'm dead. On the plus side...

You know, right now even the prospect of Durandal's death does nothing to improve my mood.


Engine fluid, tons of compilers...

This wasn't a part of the ship that was modified to be easy to access for engineers and the rest of the Marathon staff. This was an area of the ship originally designed to kill people, that was still keeping up the proud old traditions.

Fortunately, even the Pfhor with their policies of "Throw more fighters at it" consider some moves suicidal. By the fifth ten foot leap over deadly coolant fluid, I'd lost most of the pursuers.




I didn't manage to ditch Tycho. He was enjoying this one. Every tiny ounce of pain he could wring out of the crew, me, Durandal? Music to his ears.


Fortunately, his gloating was interrupted in a burst of static.

Well, Tycho, it looks like you're not getting to finish Durandal off.

This little pleasure goes to me.

[Artanis]

Every update shows another similarity between this backstory and that of Halo...which is a good thing, considering how much I like the Halo universe

[chiasaur11]

Durandal wanted me to kill him. I was more than happy to oblige. Sadly, his steady loss of system controls meant that I was locked away from any and all methods of terminating him. And the security systems for those would be swarming with guards.


Durandal managed a last transmission. I'd ask about Leela, but something told me I wouldn't want to know, considering how fast the access panels were dropping. Leela was the last person I had who was a anything resembling a friend. I'd like to be able to remember her with some dignity.



The first couple of core system panels opened up easily enough. I had been right earlier. The fusion pistol did a number on Durandal's systems. And yes, it was satisfying. Not as much as I thought it would be, maybe, but still better than getting shot in the gut.


Systems were shorting out right and left, so I figure I was doing something. Unfortunately, said systems weren't opening the last couple of locks. Which meant meeting the force Tycho'd assembled for revenge.

Well, they'd need to get in line.


And meeting Tycho.

He wanted me to give up? Durandal wasn't a friend, sure. In fact, I was killing him right now partially for the pleasure of watching him die. But he'd saved my life, as it turns out, and had been doing some good in slowing down the fleet heading for Earth. The Pfhor catch him, what little good he's done is nulled out, they doubtless go back on the promises of amnesty, and Durandal lives to stew.

No part of that appeals to me.


One last switch opened up the central core.

And one quick shot ends the whole thing. And shuts down the teleporters, the lights, the air...

Well, I did some good before I died. Just not enough.

Well, I've got five minutes of air and a few hundred bullets left. Might as well make my last few minutes memorable.

[Cristo Meyers]

All of a sudden I hear Paxton Fettel in my head...

"You shot me. I didn't like that..."

Almost feel sorry for the late megalomaniac. I mean, all he wanted to do was become a god. What's wrong with that?

[Juhn]

If Marvel Comics have taught me anything, it's that he would have become a planet-eating foundation of the next universe.

[Cristo Meyers]

Naaaaaah. I'm sure he'd be just as cuddly as he is now.

[chiasaur11]

To think I once considered you capable of reason.

What made you attempt to defy me?

A pathetic urge to protect your precious humans?

You've only ensured their demises. If it hadn't been for your pathetic outbursts, they might have been considered malleable enough to use as a slave race.

Now, of course, we will be forced to exterminate them. Shall I bring them in front of you before they die? Ensure they know exactly who to blame for their inevitably horrible demises?

Perhaps it was loyalty to the fool Durandal. Some half hearted attempt to repay him for your life.

But you know as well as I do that he was responsible for the loss of all you held dear. If you valued loyalty at all, I would think you would have aided me.

No. You may claim these or a thousand other noble motives. But we both know you were just flailing in childish defiance against the inevitable. You may claim you understand the motives in play, but we both know you're just an infant screaming for attention.

For all his faults, all his folly, Durandal could understand exactly how foolish he was, in the end.

I can only hope that your final moments will bring a similar epiphany. I'm sure the far off day of your demise will soon be a thing of much anticipation for both of us.

Spoiler

Show

Rest well. We begin in earnest tomorrow.
-Tycho.

[Oslecamo]

Muahaha, they're gonna regret leting you live...

Great job with this lp!

[chiasaur11]

Well, to quote Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead:

"Generally speaking, things have gone about as far as they can possibly go, when things have gotten about as bad as they can reasonably get."

So...

[chiasaur11]

Communication opening

Transmission begun. Communication between Attentive class Perimeter Station 7AF Commander 5th Class Re'eer and Imperial class Captain R'chzne in progress.

With all due respect to one of your station, I humbly request a transfer from unit 751134 (Conditioned unit recalibration towards cessation of hostilities) and a return to the previous posting in unit 430266 (Eradication of Hostile Species Unsuitable for Enslavement through mechanized infantry). The rate of attrition for the current unit has recently began to exceed that of any other posting for units of Willful rank or above, and seems more suited to Aggregate level units, or similarly disposable forces rather than officers considering the following incidents:

1) Unknown Willful class unit entered subject designate "Mjolnir"'s cell following interrogation session to ensure subject had not ceased functioning following a session in which enhanced techniques were authorized accompanied by several Aggregate class hunters. Subject designate "Mjolnir" removed one hunter unit's shoulder mounted plasma cannon and reduced the willful unit in question, both hunters, and five Conditioned class cyborgs to a fine mist before it could be apprehended.

2) Mid interrogation session three days later, the same subject broke combat rated restraints and managed to forcibly separate one of the observers (Imperial rank Science Officer 2nd Class, I'ii'ich) from his cranial lobe and nearly escaped the holding chamber before Juggernaut level prisoner restraints could be applied.

3) In an attempt to placate subject, a human design simulacrum was used for Sustenance delivery, but the subject proceeded to forcibly destroy the unit in question and used its internal fluids to scrawl what appear to be (when translated) invectives against Machinate Mercenary Tycho and Terminated Hostile Intelligence Durandal.

In short, the risks involved seem to suggest that this posting is better suited as a motive for compliance from already rebellious Aggregate units than as a continual posting for officers.

[chiasaur11]

Another glorious day to be alive. I thought that the little incident on the Boomer was as bad as it was going to get. Then I thought that Tycho's little speech and torture session was the worst.

My life for the last month has been a steady plumbing of the depths of human agony and despair punctuated by brief moments of hideous violence that, given my current situation, feel almost joyous.

And every single one of them just makes the prison worse, the guards better, and the hope of escape seem further off.


Looking at the guard, I almost wonder if what I'm planning is worth it. He's one of the Pfhor navy's best, and unarmed, I probably don't have a chance. Even if I somehow kill him, a buddy of his, or the energy grid, or even something as dumb as a wrong turn in a side passage will ensure I get tossed back in.

But I can't quit. It's the one stupid worthless thing I have left. I give that up, and they win. (No. They've won already. Completely, from what you've seen. Still, it's like dad said. "Always fight")

And I smile as a quick swing snaps the stupid enforcer's neck. Unfortunately, it screams, alerting the rest of the guards before I can even open the door.

I wish I could say it had been worth it.


And then I see something I'd filed under impossibilities for a long time. I was probably hallucinating. Something that wasn't me, or something trying to torture me? Tycho'd said he'd managed to deal with the crew. He's a liar, of course, but I figured any other survivors were pinned down and half dead at best after this long without Durandal beaming down supplies.

Whatever it was, it was a distraction for the guards. I ran.

[chiasaur11]

Grabbing a magnum from a very confused Pfhor scientist, I broke for the surface, ignoring as best I could the screams of the guys who provided me a crucial distraction. Some seemed to be teleporting out, which meant somebody was keeping old equipment working.

I made it to the surface and kept moving. No sense in outstaying my welcome.

A terminal was blinking away steadily as soon as I was free of the complex (Which seemed to be detonating behind me. Ripping open every bit of wiring along the way hadn't been such a bad idea after all). It was probably a trap. Still, staying here alone was guaranteeing death as soon as the Pfhor found out what happened to their little jail.


So, Blake had made it. Well, Durandal had said they'd been bunkered up well. And it seemed like Durandal was running my life even after I killed him.

Life continues to conspire to make even my triumphs turn to ash in my mouth.



Well, I'm alive, unlike some. And a second pistol would do some good in keeping me that way. The previous owner wouldn't be using it more, anyway.


The Pfhor troopers investigating the recent signal activity, however, were attempting to remedy my recent successes.


I managed to get a few more bits of information from Blake at a terminal inside an old s'pht building. Seems we were activating another AI.

Didn't we learn our lesson with the last one?


Well, better to deal with the unknown in this case than the Pfhor., who I got to know all to well over the last month. Switches to toggle, ancient AIs to awaken, "fun" to be had.


Joy. More suicide bombers coming after me, no flamethrower to safely dispose of them for hours...

Well, it may not be fun, safe, or easy, but compared to the last month of my life it's paradise.

[SITB]

Some of the images from he later updaes appear to me dead.

Also, will we see

Spoiler

Show

"The Blake form is dead, insect"

type of deal?

EDIT: Nevermind it works again.