Takodana - Hunter and Hunted (ho)

Walkthrough

In the western parts of the forest, the player will discover a hunting blind. If the player is carrying a pelt in their inventory, Laksek Jonn, one of the hunters inside the blind will engage the player in conversation and tell them they are hunting the rare Pathylon Dragon of Takodana. The player is offered credits in exchange for acting as bait...

NOTE: You need to have a pelt in your inventory before you start this mini. Fortunately there's a good selection of hunts on Takodana for all levels.

From Takodana bays, go 2s, 3se, e, s, se, 3sw, 9w, <move vines>, <enter blind>.

You're now inside the hunting blind next to a couple of hunters. Provided you have a pelt in your inventory, Laksek Jonn will greet you with a monologue...

Laksek Jonn says: You there!
Laksek Jonn limps over to you.
You notice his ankle is very swollen.
Laksek Jonn asks: Are you a hunter?
Laksek Jonn says: No, not a bounty hunter!  A hunter-hunter.
Laksek Jonn says: Nevermind that.
Laksek Jonn says: We're hunting the elusive Pathylon Dragon and I went and
 busted my ankle.
Laksek Jonn shakes his head in disappointment.
Laksek Jonn says: We were so close. I almost had 'em.
Laksek Jonn pauses a moment.
Laksek Jonn says: That dragon is still around here.
Laksek Jonn says: It's got a taste for me and it's waiting.
Laksek Jonn looks at Sor Pebol for a long moment.
Laksek Jonn says: We can't leave this blind, especially with my ankle the
 way it is.
Laksek Jonn looks at you and asks: Want to be the bait?
Laksek Jonn says: I'll make it worth your while...
Laksek Jonn says: Will you hear me out?
Laksek Jonn turns away.
	

He tells you they are hunting the Pathylon Dragon, but unfortunately he has busted his ankle. They'll give you a reward if you volunteer to be the bait. Now <listen jonn> to hear more...

Laksek Jonn smiles at you.
Laksek Jonn says: If you listen to me closely, I can tell you exactly what
 you must do to survive.
Laksek Jonn says: You must lure the Pathylon Dragon to the area just outside
 this blind.
Laksek Jonn says: The Pathylon Dragon is intelligent, that means you can't
 just run around and make it follow you.
Laksek Jonn sighs.
Laksek Jonn says: The first thing you need to do is find some mud.
Laksek Jonn says: I saw a mud pit in the forest recently but I can't
 remember the direction.
Laksek Jonn says: Once you find this mud pit, cover yourself with it.
Laksek Jonn says: The next thing you need is to cover yourself in leaves.
Laksek Jonn says: Not leaves on trees, but dead leaves.
Laksek Jonn says: They are all over the forest floor.
Laksek Jonn says: Have a look around and see if you can find some.
Laksek Jonn rubs at his swollen ankle.
Laksek Jonn says: So once you've got yourself covered in mud and leaves,
Laksek Jonn says: then you need to find an Alludis Plant.
Laksek Jonn says: They are rare, but they carry an intoxicating scent that
 Pathylon Dragons find irresistible.
Laksek Jonn says: It's important to camouflage yourself with mud and leaves.
Laksek Jonn says: The dragon won't commit to the Alludis plant if it sees
 you there.
Laksek shakes his head sadly.
Laksek Jonn says: I have never seen an Alludis Plant before.
Laksek Jonn says: But I know someone who has.
Laksek Jonn says: There's a fellow named Valtren who is also hunting all
 Pathylon Dragons.
Laksek Jonn says: He knows where to find the Alludis Plant.
Laksek Jonn says: Mud, leaves and Alludis Plant.  Those are the steps.
Laksek Jonn says: Then you need to hunt for the Pathylon Dragon.
Laksek Jonn says: Once you find it, the dragon will stalk you.
Laksek Jonn says: You have to get back to the area just outside the blind.
Laksek Jonn says: We'll shoot it from here.
Laksek Jonn asks: Think you can remember all that, sport?
Laksek Jonn turns away.
	

He tells you that you need to lure the dragon to the hunting blind, but that you'll need to camouflage yourself with mud and leaves first. On top of that, you'll need to find an Alludis plant which has a scent that will make the dragon follow you, someone named Valtren can help you locate the plant.

The next steps are to find the mud, leaves and the Alludis plant:

• From blind to mud: e, 5ne, 2n, ne, 5e, se, <cover body with mud>, then wait.
• From mud to leaves: nw, 5w, sw, 2s, 2sw, se, <cover body with leaves>, then wait.
• From leaves to Valtren: 2e, <ask valtren about dragon>.

You'll be at the lake next to Valtren, the Dragon Slayer. Now <ask valtren about dragon>...

You tell Valtren about how you are helping Laksek Jonn.
Valtren says: While I disagree with Jonn's hunting methods, I'll never pass
 an opportunity to lessen the Pathylon Dragon population.
Valtren says: It looks like you're just missing the Alludis Plant.
Valtren smiles.
Valtren asks: How do you know this isn't just some elaborate ploy to get you
 covered in mud and leaves just so someone can take funny photos of you?
Valtren says: Anyway, about that Alludis Plant.
Valtren says: It can be found to the <RANDOM DIRECTION>.
Valtren says: Once you have it, you'll need to find the Pathylon Dragon and
 lure it back to Laksek Jonn.
Valtren says: Good luck.
Valtren turns away.
	

In his chat, Valtren will give you a general direction for where the Alludis plant is located, if you need a recap later, you can always <ask valtren about plant>.

The plant will spawn in one of six random locations, depending on Valtren's directions they are as follows:

NOTE: Picking the Alludis plant will yield a bloom. However, the bloom starts to wilt immediately, making it crucial to locate the dragon swiftly and begin luring it back to the blind. The effectiveness of luring the dragon is directly correlated to the freshness of the bloom.

When you find the Alludis plant you will see the following message:

You spot the Alludis Plant nearby.
Its bluish-purple bloom calls to you.
You can <pick bloom> to remove it.
	

Pick the bloom and make your way to the dragon as quickly as possible. When you're covered in mud, leaves and have the bloom in your inventory, the dragon will not detect you, only the mesmerizing scent of the bloom.

Wait for the following message:

The Pathylon Dragon lifts its enormous head and gazes directly at the bloom
you are carrying.
It is mesmerized by the Alludis plant bloom.
Wonderfully, the mud and leaves have created enough of a camouflage to the
point where the Pathylon Dragon does not notice you.
The Pathylon Dragon lowers its giant head and begins to move toward you.

NOW would be a good time to lure it back to the hunting blind!!
	

Make a beeline back to the hunting blind, but move one room at a time, making sure the dragon follows you each step of the way - you need to cover 10 rooms quickly.

The path back to the blind is: 3e, ne, e, ne, e, 2ne, n.

Tips

• Don't linger in the same room as the dragon while luring it back. After 20 seconds, you'll receive a warning. If you stay another 20 seconds (for a total of 40 seconds), the dragon will snatch the bloom and enter a frenzy! It will then attack you, effectively ending the mini.
• Every time the dragon moves to your location, there's a 2/3 chance you'll experience a special event:
  • These events last for around 10 seconds.
  • They will prevent you from using any commands for the duration.
  • They will cause you some damage.
  • Additionally, a few of these special events will force you to move in a random direction.
  • If this happens, quickly return to your desired location before taking another action.
• As you lure the dragon through the rooms, you may notice it stops following you occasionally. When this happens, simply backtrack to the previous room and then continue to your desired location.
• Remember that the dragon's responsiveness will decrease as the bloom wilts further.

When you arrive at the eroded hillside outside the blind just sit tight and watch the finale play out...

You charge toward the Hunting Blind, pure terror rising from inside you.
The Pathylon Dragon crashes through the dense brush.
You turn to see the Pathylon Dragon moving ever closer to you.
A voice shouts: Closer, I can't get a clear shot!
You slowly start moving backwards, still facing the Pathylon Dragon.
The Pathylon Dragon bares its long, sharp teeth as it watches you.
A voice shouts: Just a little closer!
The Pathylon Dragon throws back its head and prepares to devour you.
Instinctively, you throw your arms in front of you in a feeble attempt at
protecting yourself.
You close your eyes and wait for the inevitable.

    *THWAP* *THWAP* *THWAP*

You open your eyes to see the Pathylon Dragon, life draining from its face.
The Pathylon Dragon collapses in a heap before you.
The Pathylon Dragon lets out a mighty roar and collapses to the ground.
The ground beneath you shakes.
The corpse of the Pathylon Dragon falls to the ground.
One final death rattle sounds and then the Pathylon Dragon is dead.
You finally catch your breath.
Laksek Jonn and Sor Pebol emerge from the hunting blind.
Laksek Jonn limps over to you.
Laksek Jonn says: I can't believe we did it.
Sor Pebol hugs you.
Laksek Jonn says: I wasn't completely certain this was going to work but I
 knew we had a chance.
Laksek Jonn says: Now that's somethin', huh?
A pre-programmed anti-grav unit arrives to haul the corpse away.
A beam of light shoots out of the anti-grav unit and lifts the corpse.
Laksek Jonn says: Sor dear, let's get it to the shuttle.
Sor Pebol nods and smiles.
Sor Pebol and the anti-grav unit disappear into the brush with the corpse.
Laksek Jonn smiles at you.
Laksek Jonn says: You did it.  You survived a Pathylon Dragon.
Laksek Jonn says: Oh!  Before I forget, here's a little something.
Laksek Jonn gives you some credits.
Laksek Jonn says: I'm off to get this ankle checked.
Laksek Jonn waves at you.
Laksek Jonn limps into the brush.
	

The hunters will shoot the dragon from a distance before arriving to transport the corpse and reward you. Upon their departure, you'll receive a lump sum of credits and an adornment for completing the mini.

Congratulations!