Beeeeees!!! (and dinosaurs)

[Jenna]

Hi all,

I'm after some advice. I'm up to the stage in the game where I've killed the Hive Queen, taken her stinger back to Lillith for the info and then killed Lillith for good measure and taken her amulet.

Now, apparently I need to get to Blackwater. On the walkthrough it says there's two ways - through Western Tangletree or Barron's Thicket. The problem with Barron's Thicket is that my character can't kill the darned dinosaurs yet. The problem with Tangletree is that when I try to go south through Northern Tangletree I get attacked by a big swarm of bees - probably about 12. They all attack me at once and hooray, I die!

I'm a bit lost as to what to do. Should I mosey around a bit and try to level up some more (I'm level 6) and then try the dinosaurs? Or is there a way to get rid of the bees? Or is there another way around altogether??

Thanks!

[Unclever title]

There are three routes to Blackwater, the two you mentioned and a third much longer route involving bandits, an assortment of undead enemies, acid grubs, goblins and the manipulation of space-time. Though these enemies are more spread out than the bee swarm (which is an odd glitch that happens to some people in their playthroughs, it's not actually the norm) or the raptors in Baron's thicket they are enemies that may be quite challenging for a level 6 character, particularly the undead as the grubs you can run from quite easily.

Route 3 has a shortcut, but it requires a couple of items one fairly rare at this point in the game.

Additionally the Tangletree route has a detour circumventing the bee swarm currently plaguing Northern Tangletree and that's to pass through Grimmhold.

I'd recommend the Grimmhold route. It might be a challenge (assuming you haven't gone through already), but you probably already have a quest to go there anyways and it's a great place to level up.

[Painted Lady]

You have a couple of possibilities. One is to "mosey around." Have you handled all of the quests in the Bordertown and Aridell areas?

There are actually three ways to Blackwater. One is through Baron's Thicket, one is through Western Tangletree and the third is through the Tangletree Ossuary area. The third one is reached by going back to the western Salted Coast (remember the old man and the Potion of Restoration?). Head west from that map and you will come out on another map which is SE of Blackwater.

However, that said, you still have nasty enemies to deal with whichever way you pick. The easiest way to make it through is with a character who has Cat's Eye, Predator Sight and Hide in Shadow. Wait until night, do a back-up, and run through Baron's Thicket as fast as you can. There are several map exits that eventually lead to Blackwater. If you get lucky you can make it....

[Kreador Freeaxe]

There is a more southerly route through, though it also has dangers (acid grubs, more bees, a Barrea Mercenary, a couple taurex). You should be able to defeat the swarm by pulling them back to Lilith's house and using the door to make sure you only have to deal with one at a time. If you haven't made the run to Blackwater yet, you'll also find some other trouble on the way, so rest up after the bees.

[Unclever title]

There is a more southerly route through, though it also has dangers (acid grubs, more bees, a Barrea Mercenary, a couple taurex). You should be able to defeat the swarm by pulling them back to Lilith's house and using the door to make sure you only have to deal with one at a time. If you haven't made the run to Blackwater yet, you'll also find some other trouble on the way, so rest up after the bees.

Right, I forgot about that one. It certainly seems that "all roads lead to Rome" or in this case Blackwater.

[King_ov_Death]

If you can, try avoiding enemies altogether (running past them), as they won't follow you if you get to another map.

If you get to Lilith's house with the Hive Drones on your tail, lure them inside so Lilith can fight them with you.

[IJBall]

...Though these enemies are more spread out than the bee swarm (which is an odd glitch that happens to some people in their playthroughs, it's not actually the norm)...

Have any of us ever figured out what triggers the swarm's appearance?!

I got the swarm in a playthrough, once - IIRC, I got it after I had either stolen Lilith's dagger or killed Lilith (or both! - I don't remember!), and I'm pretty sure I did all that after I killed the Hive Queen. Luckily, I'm pretty sure that I was far enough along on that particular playthrough that I was actually able to take out the entire swarm at once (it might have been during my pure Mage playthrough, when I had Supernova... I don't remember for certain...).

[Kreador Freeaxe]

I've actually seen the swarm in almost every play through, the first time you get to the three-way crossroads leading to her house after you've shown her the Hive Queen's stinger. I've always been to Blackwater before that point, however, so usually I quick-travel away rather than run into them until I'm ready.

One way or another, though, what you want to do if you're not strong enough to take them all at once is snipe a few at a time and get them to chase you to one map-edge or another (where they'll stay waiting for you to return). Then you sneak up from the other side after going around and repeat the snipe/chase the other direction until you've successfully killed them all.

The weird glitch was http://www.basiliskgames.com/forums/vie ... f=3&t=2391 where somehow one bee kept endlessly generating new bees. Fortunately, that glitch never happened to me.

[Dragonlady]

I just save before entering the bee area from the north, then make a run for it dodging the bees as I go. I take a few hits but just keep going south to the second map with bees make a turn to go west and keep running. Stop just at the western border past the bees. Recoop, then make a run past the bandits and make for Blackwater's border. I've managed to get thru alive in daylight that way at 4-6th level. Later, when I'm a higher level or have lots of burning oil flasks that I've made using alchemy skill, I come back and kick their butts..so to speak. They are at the borders all bunched up so 1 throw of oil and *boom!* zap, zap, zap.

[Unclever title]

Funny, I've NEVER seen the swarm, at worst it was only four or five bees at once and those I mostly conquer with arrows.

[Painted Lady]

I always seem to get the swarm when I cross the intersection by Lilith's cottage after I've killed her......

[Jenna]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I finally managed to get rid of the bees by taking teeny tiny steps when approaching them so only one or two would see me at a time, then running away so they would follow me and dispatching of them that way. It took ages, but I think I got them all now. Hooray!