This will be a short and simple review, because the same could be said about this curious scenario from Milu Kantola. Curious, because of how this scenario is different from many others out there.

The Leaving has NO custom graphics. The Leaving does NOT have an epic plot with baddies everywhere to destroy. The Leaving is merely adequate in special node and item usage, a few good sequences here and there, but nothing special. This scenario really breaks no new ground, but instead does a fine job of doing what a good Blades scenario should always do, with or without technical advancements — it tells a good story.

The author apologizes right away for his English, as Finnish is his native language. However, I’ve seen much worse grammar and spelling from my fellow native speakers, so the author deserves much commendation for a very high level of English proficiency. There are a few mistakes here and there, but nothing major or horribly distracting.

The story starts simply enough, there is a loud crash outside your Exile village, and you are sent to investigate. You are quickly tasked with finding a new home for your small village, as the crash was the sound of a cave-in that now threatens your home.

And that’s pretty much it. You wander around the caves of Exile, encountering and dealing with various inhabitants, until you finally find a place to live. Of course, as in any Blades scenario, it’s not quite that simple. You’ll quickly find that while you have many neighbors, some are hostile, some will require something before they will help you, and some (usually of the monster-variety) need to be wiped out.

What I liked most was the characterization of some of the people you will meet along the way. The old bridgekeeper Anton, the mage with an interest in sociology, among others, were well developed personalities that felt . . . well, more real than most others met in Blades scenarios. They didn’t even have a huge amount of dialogue, but what they did have to say and how they responded to some things was rather nicely done. A small thing, to be sure, but I enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, the scenario is not perfect or bug free. You can get yourself trapped quite easily, if you pass by the previously mentioned bridgekeeper and wander into a town before you have gotten a required piece of information. Later on, there is a coding error, where a special will not be called and you will be stuck. Fortunately, the scenario has no password, so this can be changed easily (in Town 11, special node 19 should Otherwise Jump To node 20), but it is still a rather ugly bug.

You also have an “Orb Of Communication” Special Item, that allows you to talk with the village chief back home, fill her in on your progress, and get a few nudges in the right direction occasionally. Again, nothing special is done with this, and thedifferent messages are repeated endlessly if you haven’t reached the next message point, but it is adequately interesting.

The scenario does come with a hint file, which should help you past any difficulties, other than the bug in town 11, that you might encounter. Perhaps this is not a great scenario, and it certainly breaks no new ground, but for what it is, I recommend it. Beware the bugs, and enjoy a few hours playing time in a nice corner of Exile, with some interesting people to meet, and a decent story. I rate this scenario an 8.

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