wiz8 playthrough update

content/articles/features/wizardry-8-playthrough-blog.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 image: "/img/games/Wizardry8/wiz8.jpg"
-date: 2021-02-18
+date: 2021-05-09
 title: Wizardry 8 Playthrough Blog
 played_on: 'win98'
 game_genre: 'RPG'
@@ -21,11 +21,13 @@ tags:
 
 ### Report Content
 
-- <a href="#intro">the Introduction</a>
-- <a href="#monastery">The Monastery</a>
-- <a href="#arnika">Arnika Road/Arnika</a>
-- <a href="#arnika2">Back to the Monastery, back to Arnika</a>
-- <a href="#trynton">Killin' Rattkin in Trynton</a>
+- 2021-02-06 - <a href="#intro">the Introduction</a>
+- 2021-02-08 - <a href="#monastery">The Monastery</a>
+- 2021-02-08 - <a href="#arnika">Arnika Road/Arnika</a>
+- 2021-02-12 - <a href="#arnika2">Back to the Monastery, back to Arnika</a>
+- 2021-02-17 - <a href="#trynton">Killin' Rattkin in Trynton</a>
+- 2021-05-09 - <a href="#swamp">Getting through the swamp</a>
+- 2021-05-09 - <a href="#trang">Marten's Bluff: unexpected allies</a>
 
 ### <a id="intro"></a>Introduction
 
@@ -113,5 +115,30 @@ Get the Zuzu petals - check. Buy the Mystery potion - check. Find the seventh Bo
 
 The Rattkin tree proved to be a walk in the park after a good night of sleep and proper preparations. No ugly mages here, just a bunch of loser archers that can't get past our Missile Shield. Battles do tend to drag on for a while if Sharptooth kept on missing, as these Rattkin seem to have +200HP and travel in quite large packs. The Don and I came to an "understanding" - he was to steal the shiny ball we're looking for, and we are to pay him for it. We'll see about that... Madras mentioned Marten's Bluff, and we've heard that and the Z'Ant name before, so let's slug through the swamp, meet Crock, and do some work for the T'Rang next!
 
-To be continued! 
+<div style="text-align: right;">[ Date: 09/05/2021 | <a href="#top">top</a> ]</div>
 
+### <a id="swamp"></a>Getting through the Swamp
+
+Right, the swamp. An ugly place, full of mud, with muddy colors, and our shoes get all mucky. Mud. Oh, and insects - that too, a lot of 'em. Some highly poisonous swarms manage to surround and basically kill us, so watch your step! A few occasional reloads later, we arrive at Corck's shack which allows us to stock up on Level 4 spellbooks, practice some more magic, and buy... Rapax Perfume. The smell isn't exactly tantalizing, but it is said to capture the Rapax' attention, and we have the feeling we'll bee needing something like that. 
+
+{{% dualscreens "/img/games/Wizardry8/playthrough/" "swamp1.jpg" "Skill building at Crock's house." "sewilderness.jpg" "The boobalicious Aeromancers massacre our party..." %}}
+
+Close to Corck's place, there's a big hollow tree, housing a big ol' Alligator that's as tough as nails. Our ninja shines again here with an INSTAKILL after a few rounds: awesome! The crocodile hide might be useful for Antone when we eventually make it back to Arnika. For now, we did not come across the Dark Savant yet, and I thought he was supposed to drop a fake Dominae? Strange. Not all paths have been treaded, though. First, we explore a path leading to the "South-East Wilderness". Only to return to the Swamps fifteen minutes later since a couple of sensual Aeromancers with their lesser Air Elemental pet ("Level 4: Puny"! And it eats us for breakfast!) massacres our party... This does not end well! CTRL-Z!
+
+We decide to come back later when we think we're ready to handle a bunch of Toxic Fumes - not just yet. A second footpath in the Swamps in the south leads us to our next destination: Marten's Bluff. (I'm sure I skipped a couple of important things here, but the Swamp is like a hub, so I'll have to revisit it a couple of times anyway)
+
+### <a id="trang"></a>Marten's Bluff: unexpected allies
+
+We're not exactly welcomed with open arms here: eight or so T'Rang patrols stop us in our tracks and try to stun us with their stupid looking rods. Luckily, a few magic missiles and fireballs later, they all die, and we can continue to explore the area. 
+
+After avoiding a apparently non-working crushing trap, a lift suddenly takes us down to the inner workings of the Bluff, and we meet Z'Ant, the leader of the T'Rang. He proposes us to work for him in exchange for... well... money and fame? Sure thing, bro. What do you want us to do? Aha, a flag, you say. Where? Mt. Gigas? Dude, that's way up North! Oh well. Okay then. 
+
+{{% dualscreens "/img/games/Wizardry8/playthrough/" "zant.jpg" "Yesss, a new cooperation!" "deadtrang.jpg" "Watch out for booby-traps! What a strange note..." %}}
+
+Since we're here already, let's snoop around a bit more. A broken catapult allows us to climb the fortress and we discover a dead T'Rang with his arm chopped off. Aha, that might solve the closed door problem with the strange imprint on it in the lower levels! We're not sure yet what to make of that note. 
+
+A few strange contraptions and pulling a lever later, a dummy Rapax figure dangles down a ceiling. Muesli things we should take out the perfume and spread it all on the figure. Just a few seconds later, we hear a strange Rapax-like noise: it's working! Quick, man the levers! The Raven Rapax guy enters the building, we seal it off and press the button. The press does the rest. Yay, Rapax minced meat! The head might net us some coin provided we present it to Z'Ant. 
+
+Now how about fetching that stupid Umpani flag for them...
+
+To be continued!

content/articles/reviews/ion-fury.md

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ game_developer: 'Voidpoint'
 
 ### In search of 90's shooters
 
-Do you remember the nineties? You know, big CRT screens, laptops of 10 kg and lots of floppy drives? Magnetic things that regularly fail to read data? How about a bit later, Windows 95? That era produced so many good (and _extremely gory_) PC shooters that I don't even know where to start if I wanted to list them. I did try to list them in this [quick look at retro shooters](/articles/retro-shootesr/) and their engines. 
+Do you remember the nineties? You know, big CRT screens, laptops of 10 kg and lots of floppy drives? Magnetic things that regularly fail to read data? How about a bit later, Windows 95? That era produced so many good (and _extremely gory_) PC shooters that I don't even know where to start if I wanted to list them. I did try to list them in this [quick look at retro shooters](/articles/retro-shooters/) and their engines. 
 
 Every single game was a big step forward and had me completely hooked during my childhood. Since Jefklak's Codex is a retro codex, and since retro gaming is becoming more and more popular, I thought, "_hey, why not cover the resurgence of nineties shooters?_"