A lesser known fact, even from fans of the books, is that you can get your very own castle in the Fabled Lands!
It's one of those moments I cherish and consider it as one of the small beauties of the series. Why? Well, your character starts as a nobody, washed up on the shore of an unknown land. You get your ass beaten at every corner in a foreign, hostile kingdom which you can explore freely. Caution is advised as would be in a real world scenario. And if you survive long enough, complete some quests and secure your flow of resurrection deals with the divine, you begin to amass your own fortune. There may be days when your actions will affect the kingdoms and their political intrigues. Or, you know, just live a simple life of fishing and gardening. It's up to you!
What better way to prepare against brigands, assassins and mercenaries than to have your own base where you can train knights and prepare your defences...
A certain wizard which you may or may not find is responsible for turning an old ruined castle into a magnificant fort that could soon draw a garirison of followers. Freeing that wizard involves beating one of the hardest combats in the game (unless you find a way around it as always!).
The chain of events leading to this moment I'll leave a secret for you to discover but it starts as a rumour in Sokara, leads you all the way through The Great Steppes and the land of the Uttakin!
What's so cool about having a castle? It becomes a central hub for you to rest, heal and rebuild. Where you have your own personal mage who can unlock one of the hardest quests in the game. Once news of the miracle spreads, various folk and men-at-arms would surely come from far and wide, and hearing the tales of your renown would pledge to serve you at your castle. Thus you'll be able to use the divine services of your own chapel or buy materials for your local blacksmith to forge weapons.
But having a wizard in your court would be rather dull if he couldn't help you in the arcane arts? Right? That's why, aside from removing curses and such, he can enchant you a weapon or an armour! Of course, there is the risk of destroying your item but who doesn't want that magic bonus? Another neat trick he teaches you is the Recall Spell which can save your skin in case of certain death.
Last but not least, having a new ruler appear all of a sudden near the borders of any kingdom 'smells trouble'. That's why you have to prepare your castle's defences if you are to withstand the pillaging of mercenaries.
That's one of the main differences between the books and the game. To improve your chances, you can reinforce the wall, the main gate, fortify the guard towers or enlarge your moat. You can also gather your knights for weapons practice and improve their fighting ability. Then you can rally your knights and men-at-arms to drive off any varlets who are trying to take the castle. But any battle is dangerous and could go south and it really depends how much you are inclined to invest in keeping what is yours.
Welp, that's it for this week, folks! See you around next time and do wishlist the game if you haven't yet! You don't want to miss the party ;)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299620/Fabled_Lands/