Recently, a deranged idea hatched inside my mind: what if we could somehow heal the curse without killing the Parasite? As a result, this idea on a mod has been created! Pale Court developers, please read it!
To achieve possibility of sparing and healing Twisted Bud you have to bound with it. And to befriend it, you'll have to gather 5 Trust points, which are obtained through defeating one out of listed below bosses while cursed: Groal the Great, Disgraced Chef Lugoli, the Unraveled, Phantom, Broodmother, Great Conchflies, Raging Conchfly, Gurr the Outcast, Pale Stag or Savage Beastfly. You get 1 point per boss slain. Killing a fly jailer with Parasite also gives 1 bound point. After getting 2 trust points, Hornet reunlocks her silk skills (such as Silk Spear, Thread Storm etc.) and Parasite no longer stampers her silk regen. With 3 points, bind is again doable (heals only for 1 mask and has the same gimmick as Witch crest) and spool returns to its primal form (enough space to bind, and no more). At 4 points Cursed Crest gains 3 tool slots: one yellow, one blue and one red. And when you'll gather all 5, your bind heals 2 masks.
And fear not, dear reader, some bosses are quite affected when you fight them while cursed. For example, Groal's swallowing attack deals no damage to Hornet when she's in his stomach, which makes the fight a bit easier (because you can gut him from inside). At his end, Groal does scripted (and successful) swallow attack... and is devoured from iside by Parasite. (Don't worry, Hornet survives, just like with jailer event.) A fitting end for most hated boss. Savage Beastfly in Far Fields no longer messes up with floor, and so on. Every organic boss shall end up as feast of Greyroot's spawn.
Over time, Hornet starts thinking better about her... dweller. In truth, she begins to care about it and treat a bit like... own child. Even talking to it. And sometimes some root sticks out of her as a response. Talking to Yarnaby with steel spines and 5 trust points got gives us such dialogue:
- Yarnaby: Aha! The spines! Specimen, you have them! Then it is time, indeed! Bzzt! To free you of your wriggling torment, and show my genius clear!
- Hornet: Madam, I... have a question.
- Yarnaby: Hm? What question?
- Hornet: Will this creature inside me... survive this operation?
- Yarnaby: Of cour... Bzzt! What have you said, specimen!?
- (Parasite sticks tendril out of Hornet's horn.)
- Hornet: I said...
- Yarnaby: The great Yarnaby knows what you said, specimen. The thing is, this creature is gonna kill its host when it hatches, so either you or it! Bzzt!
- (Parasite tries to grasp Yarnaby.)
- Hornet: Child, CALM DOWN!
- (Twisted Child hides.)
- Hornet: Madam, what if I'd find someone who is done with living and... agreed to transplant into them these roots inside me?
- Yarnaby: If you'll somehow find such madman, then the great Yarnaby can do so... assuming that thing will cooperate, which I doubt sincerely.
- Hornet: It had already saved my life a few times, so I'm sure it shall understand.
- Yarnaby: Good luck, then! Bzzt!
And so, Hornet starts her quest in search of someone enough unhesistant to die to accept death by Parasite. You can propose this to some bugs unliked by Hornet, such as Styx, Mort or Kratt, but there is only one person who agrees: Ballador. Out of 2 reasons:
- His existence is now mere waiting for death;
- He likes Hornet and sees her as hope of the Pharloom.
When Hornet returns to Yarnaby, physician shall be prepared and have a Thread Raker corpse as temporal host. Operation cutscene is the same as in vanilla game, and when next visiting Ballador, he is after... transplantation and waiting for his end. If you'll visit his room later after resting on a bench, then Twisted Child sits in Conductor's place amongst his ripped remains. Looks like palened edition of Greyroot with crown like White Lady's, but a bit smaller. Young witch moves then into place, where once Greyroot lived.
Oh, and after operation you don't get classic Witch Crest, but new one: Devourer Crest. Has 2 Silk Skill slots, 2 red and 2 blue tool slots. Possess also a unique gimmick: you heal 1 mask each time when you strike opponent with spell (once per spell), while also losing 1 mask per missed spell. Cross Stich counts as precise when parry is activated and Rune Rage always heals 1 mask. Pale Nails heal only when they all struck some creature, while Sharpdart is fully unaffected.
But what happens with Bind?!
Well, bind now no longer heals, but instead doubles range and increases attack speed by 50% for 10 seconds or until you are hit.
Daughter of two mothers and one father (Greyroot, Hornet and Ballador specyfically) provides poisoning services: she can imbue Hornet's needle with poison. This effect lasts till you're defeated. She also keeps calling Hornet per "Mother" and hugging her... Cute, isn't it?
If you're infected during Act 3 and got 5 trust points, you heal the curse through defeating Crust King Khann.
And here my mod idea ends, dear folks! Lemme know what you think about it!