Arrival in Tacarigua

Arrival in Tacarigua

The settlement of Tacarigua presents a unique and fascinating dichotomy for you to experience in that it is both an extension of the formal power base of the Inquisition while at the same time, as a frontier presence, it is a gateway to the other faction and the rest of the world, and all that that represents including the Pirate subculture. 

Once the ship arrives in the port you should exhaust your chat options with Patty to learn that she has thrown your old clothes over the side to keep anyone from suspecting that you are part of the Inquisition -- which was probably smart.  When you reach the deck the Captain agrees with what she did, so I suppose you should be grateful to him for spreading the rumor that you are a sexual deviant...

The gangplank is at hand, but before you step on to it you have an important choice to make.  You can either continue with the adventure straight away, heading for the village and looking for the next step to advance the story which is, of course, one obvious option -- OR --  you can head down to the beach and begin fighting beasties and collecting resources, the idea being to get your character some levels and some loot that can be turned into gold...

A journey by slave ship is the first step on this long adventure

Spending a little time and the effort down on the beach to kill the odd Sand Devil and pick up resources may not seem like that significant an activity, but all of those small victories and minor items add up and will pay off handsomely and almost right away!   The reason this is true is simple really -- you are in a new community, with only one friend and very few possessions, you are a babe in the wilds with respect to your present skill levels in spite of the fact that you have already completed a major adventure in the first game in the series (it is my understanding that your unfortunate descent into the bottles of Grog and Rum that became your world is the source of your having forgotten pretty much every useful skill that you previously mastered, as well as all of the wicked cool magical weapons and kit you had acquired), so you really do have a LOT of territory to make up!

This is a situation in which every little bit counts, so while you can choose to continue with the story, I chose to explore, to gather resources, and build my skills as well as flag new quests as the opportunities presented, because that is how I roll!   And in addition to a trio of Sand Devils to kill and loot I gathered my first Left-Hand strategic game-changing throwable items (I gathered some Coconuts near the treeline) and, at a concealed camp off of the beach, I found a bottle of Rum and a chest with some sand (yet another throw-able strategic Left-Hand item), an oyster shell, gold, and a bottle of Grog!  A second bottle of Grog is on the barrel behind the chest so be sure to grab that, and then open your Inventory and drink that bottle of Rum!

Drinking the Rum unlocks the Achievement 'Just a little tipple' (10 GP) Drank first Rum.  Nice one!

By the water line there is an Oyster Shell to be taken, and on the beach on the other side of the docks there is your first transport boat (dingy) but until you get a map you cannot use it...  Further up the beach on that side though you can gather Golden Clover, Makiberries, Oyster Shells, Skullflowers, and do battle with another Sand Devil!  Your first Warthog is further up the beach and you can kill it with Patty's help so be sure to gather the meat from it so you can cook it up later!  A chest at the far end on this side has a Gold Nugget and a Bottle of Grog, and a nearby plant called Spirit Lily, you can head into town where you are stopped by a guard and interrogated before being admitted -- and remember, information security is critical.

Chatting with the guard will provide (among other things) directions to a quest to deliver a message to the pirates, and in addition to that he cheerfully shares with you his assessment of how you need to conduct yourself in order to enjoy a friction-free existence in this new village you find yourself in!  He tells you which way up is in other words -- and then you are free to enter the town.  Right next to him on the ground is a Bloodroot plant -- be sure you harvest that!

Pedro is standing in the courtyard by the dinner table, and when you speak to him you can ask obtain information on where you can obtain supplies (from Osorio the Cook), where you can obtain clothes (from Carter), where to get a map of the island (from Di Feugo), and some information about the Pirates (from Roquefort).

Roquefort is sitting on a nearby bench, and when you speak with him he shares his woes with you, about which you can get more detailed information by remarking that he has to take orders from the colonial governor...  When you ask about the pirates, he offers you a messenger job (quest) to deliver a message to the Pirates and return with their reply for which he will pay 100 gold!  Asking him to teach you about Swords causes him to offer to have a practice Epee duel with you as a way to get you started... 

I don't think you are meant to actually beat him if you have yet to level your Blades skill but anything is possible I suppose...  Roquefort is an NPC Blades Trainer, so asking him to show you Swords Skills results in training opportunities -- see the Leveling Abilities & Skills List further down this section for the details!   If you decide to duel him and you win you will get 75 Glory (XP) as your reward.

Chat up the Cook in the Cook Shed to get a job that will pay 200 gold -- you know nothing about cooking but he says he can use you as a messenger and suggests that Patty can help him in the kitchen but she is violently opposed to that idea!  Basically what you will need to do is upgrade your Cunning in order to get the Silver Tongue Ability to a level wherein you can try to convince her - once you have done so you then return to the Cook and let him know that Patty will be helping him, at which point he gives you the messenger job as well, instructing you to deliver Grog to the soldiers on the farther outposts.

In addition to doing the odd job for him, you can buy (and sell) items from the Cook -- he will sell you Rum, Grog, and Provisions.  You are going to need to level your persuasion abilities before you can get Patty to do your bidding, so hold off on worry about that quest for now.

In town you overhear the local Commandant laying into one of his officers, and then you can talk to Pedro about jobs.  Look around the area and you can find a chest with gold and some resources in it, a wide variety of plants, some Turkey you can kill and harvest, and food stuff from the loaded table in the town proper you can re-purpose as personal provisions...  There is a hut on the outskirts with beds you can use, and it seems that Largo is locked up here in town for starting trouble in the fields!

When you talk to Largo if you mention you are thinking of joining up with the Pirates he tells you that one of them can give you a Lockpick and if they do, bring it back to him and he will show you how to use it.  Bonus!  He instructs you to seek out the Pirate Blacksmith named Stone to get the pick, but you need to obtain one of Largo's possessions that have been taken from him to prove that you came from him first...  So ask him about those and then keep an eye out for the opportunity to acquire one.

After you are properly dressed with at least pants and a shirt, you can visit the colonial governor, Di Fuego, who is upstairs in his house.  When you arrive you will encounter a heated argument between the governor and Captain Sebastiano -- after that plays out and the Captain leaves you can talk to the governor and ask for a Map of the Island.  He demands 100 gold -- pay that and you have your map!  This completes the quest A Map of Iacarigua.

You should next ask about the escaped slaves -- he will tell you what there is to know, and then mention that they have bounties on their heads.  You can accept the quest (Bounty) which will pay 100 gold per slave head -- there are three in total it seems.  You have the option of telling the governor about Roquefort's letter -- you show it to him and he instructs you to leave it sealed and deliver it. 

The governor is also a merchant -- he sells kit -- and from him you can buy the following:

-- Silk Shirt (500 gold - Bladeproof: 1 / Bulletproof: 1 / 10 Silver Tongue / 10 Piercing Weapons)
-- Elegant Waistcoat (300 gold - Bladeproof: 10 / Bulletproof: 10 / 5 Silver Tongue)
-- Black Trousers (200 gold - Bladeproof: 3 / Bulletproof: 3 / 3 Intimidate)
-- White Trousers (200 gold - Bladeproof: 3 / Bulletproof: 3 / 3 Silver Tongue)
-- Elegant Shoes (400 gold - Bladeproof: 5 / Bulletproof: 0 / 5 Silver Tongue)
-- Good Shoes (200 gold - Bladeproof: 3 / Bulletproof: 0 / 3 Silver Tongue)
-- Duelists Earring (250 gold - 5 Piercing Weapons)
-- Pearl Earring (200 gold - 5 Silver Tongue)
-- Pearl (50 gold)

Upgrading your Cunning Skill allows you to Convince Patty to Cook!

At the very least you should buy the map, as in addition to being naturally equipped with the fog of war so that it tells you what parts you have explored and what parts you have not, it is used as the Fast Travel system initiator for the game -- meaning you can open the map, select a marked location on it, and then fast travel to that location, allowing you to get around much easier when you need to!

-- Leveling, Wealth, Resources, and The Jungle --

It will not escape your notice for very long that the paths leading out of the village take you into the nearby Jungle, or that the Jungle that basically surrounds the village is lush, green, dense, and presents considerable dangers to your character.  So before you go off all willy-nilly into that Jungle you should be very aware that it is a dangerous place full of savages, vicious monkeys, leopards, and other wild beasties that can (and will) kill and eat you! 

The dangers that are posed by the Jungle are not as great a concern when you have Patty with you, but if she has started to work in the Cooling Shed as the Cook's Helper on the quest

So you may want to go easy on that, slowly exploring a little bit at a time, and returning to your hut in the village to rest as needed.

In the Jungle you will find some of the following resources that you can harvest and collect -- and you really should collect as many of them as you can since there are no limits to the number of items you can carry or their weight in your Inventory.  There is also the fact that all of the resource can be used as crafting ingredients, for specific effects, or for other purposes in the game, and failing all of that can be sold to the various merchant NPC's at a profit, and as you will always require copious s supplies of gold, that is really a no-brainer.  

Bear in mind that after a set amount of time depending upon the resource these respawn in the world, so you may want to revisit areas you found resources in previously to get more of them.  This does not apply to the really rare stuff mind you -- I wish it did -- but what can you do?

As you explore the beaches, village, bush areas, and the Jungle, keep an eye out for the following items to collect them:

--== Drinks, Provisions, Tools & Utility Items ==--
-- Bullets (Cannot be Sold)
-- Grog (A Bottle of...  Give to Patty to boost her mood/health)
-- Pearl (Obtained by opening Oyster Shells in your Invetory)
-- Provisions (Individual Food Items; Raw Foods must be Cooked first)
-- Raw Chicken (from birds/turkey -- cook to convert to Provisions)
-- Raw Meat (from Hogs / other animals that are not birds or fish -- cook to convert to Provisions)
-- Rock Hard Coconut (Throwing Weapon)
-- Rum (a bottle of...)
-- Sand (Throwing Weapon / Cannot be Sold)
-- Torches

--== Resources ==--
-- Black Oleander
-- Bloodroot
-- Choking Vine
-- Gold
-- Gold Nugget
-- Golden Clover
-- Hero's Crown (Very Rare Potion Ingredient - do NOT accidentally consume or sell!)
-- Makiberries
-- Oyster Shells (Open them in your inventory for the chance to find a Pearl inside)
-- Powdered Poppy Seed
-- Skullflower
-- Spirit Lily

--== Leveling Abilities & Skills ==--
The following abilities and skills are leveled by obtaining training from the proper NPC:

> Largo the Pirate and Thief (Found in the jail cell)

-- (Largo) Beginner Thief Training (500 gold - Cunning 2)
-- (Largo) Better Thief Training (1000 gold - Cunning 5 / Thievery 1)
-- (Largo) Master Thief Training (1500 gold - Cunning 8 / Thievery 11)
-- (Largo) Lockpicking (Quest Item Cunning 4)
-- (Largo) Pickpocket (1000 gold - Cunning 2)
-- (Largo) Sneaking (500 gold - Cunning Level 1)
-- (Roquefort) Parrying (1000 gold - Blades 1)
-- (Roquefort) Better Blades Skill (1000 gold - Blades 2)
-- (Roquefort) Riposte (1000 gold - Blades 4 / Parry)
-- (Roquefort) More Powerful Riposte (1000 gold - Blades 8 / Riposte)
-- (Roquefort) Faster Attacks (500 gold - Blades 2)
-- (Roquefort) Master the Epee (1000 gold - Blades 5 / Piercing Weapons 1)


Before you head out of the town and begin to delve into the Jungles, go to the hut and sleep until Midnight, then make your way to the soldier's barracks and sneak inside.  On the floor near Pedro's bed is a pair of Worn Out Boots that have an "L" sewn into the leather.  Collect those and then head for the door -- you may be discovered on your way out by one of the guards who is coming off duty -- no worries there as long as he did not actually SEE you stealing the boots -- he will order you to get out and warn you that you had better not try anything else!

You still need to get one of the items for the quest to obtain the lockpick -- the boots do not count, only the earring or the head scarf -- from the Pirate Smith named Stone.  You can go challenge the Warden to a duel now if you want but be sure that you (A) save first, and (B) have plenty of Provisions to heal with during the battle, and (C) you have then set as a hot button selection -- I prefer the bottom or 6 O'Clock spot so I can just tap down on the D-Pad myself...