Mortal! Please...!
— HoodedOneHelpWild1 |
Help me...!
— HoodedOneHelpWild2 |
Free me...!
— HoodedOneHelpWild3 |
Thank you, mortal, for releasing me. I would join you, if you would accept my aid. Long have I walked this world, so I may be able to give you guidance.
— HoodedOneReleasedTalk |
These strange occurrences. The wild beasts growing mad, the dead rising. These are not a coincidence. The source of this affliction may be found in Ogham Village. The count has stolen something. Something that can not be left in mortal hands. If we do not intervene quickly, we will all be at risk. The Tree of Souls is connected to this ancient forest. It knows a quicker way. I will... persuade it... to allow passage.
— HoodedOneGiveQuest |
Go quickly. I will return to your 'Clearfell.' Seek me when you have need of guidance.
— HoodedOneOldForestWildDepart |
The boundless horrors of mishandled Corruption cannot be conveyed simply through words. Let us hope that we can find and contain the Seed before it is too late.
— HoodedOneSeedOfCorruptionGossip |
The Count accosted me and stole a very dangerous object. A Seed that I have kept hidden from humanity. Somehow he knew that I possessed it. He can have no idea how dangerous it is. His attempts to harness its power will court disaster. You must hurry to the Manor. At the very least, those who are still sane may be convinced to stop the inevitable course of events that will follow, if they feed and nurture the Seed of Corruption.
— HoodedOneIronCountGossip |
All children have imaginary friends. Most grow out of that phase. A rare few refuse to let go, creating real from unreal through sheer stubbornness. Gods born of man certainly exist, but did a gigantic red tiger named Farrul actually run the plains of the primordial world? There is no way to know. Will the world end if she and her savage ilk return? The answer, I imagine, is up to those who would stand and fight on that day. Be glad that today is not that day... as far as I know.
— The First Ones |
Corruption once had a purpose. Let us term it a disorganiser of what would otherwise be ordered. One consequence of this chaos is the warping of pathways, both through the woods, and in the mind. The land so afflicted is never the same when trod upon a second time; men afflicted by Corruption know not where or when they are, only that they are in pain, and you appear as a horrible creature to their distorted senses.
— Madness |
The village has been destroyed? Then madness has already reached a boiling point in the minds of the Count's men. You must infiltrate the Manor and put a stop to this by any means necessary. The fate that befell Ogham Village is only a single raindrop in the storm that is coming.
— The Village |
If you intend to face the Count, I must warn you: an ancient corrupting power has driven him to madness. There is no telling what you may find within the walls of the Manor. Where the Seed of Corruption takes root, life bends itself into unnatural shapes, and the minds of men grow fevered. Though you may face horrors beyond comprehension, it is this Seed that is the true danger at the heart of the Manor.
— Count Geonor |
We must pursue Oriana! The Seed of Corruption has begun to grow, but there is still a chance that we can end this before it is too late. The fledgling Beast is leaving Corruption in its wake, so we have a trail to follow. When you are ready to part from this place, we can leave immediately.
— Death of the Count |
Allow me to clear your mind, if only for a moment.
— HoodedOneGeonorDeathSequenceFirst |
Where has she taken the Beast?
— HoodedOneGeonorDeathSequenceSecond |
Hmm... From the Vastiri?
— HoodedOneGeonorDeathSequenceThird |
As you wish.
— HoodedOneGeonorDeathSequenceFourth |
We must make haste. Let us return to Clearfell to make our preparations.
— HoodedOneGeonorDeathSequenceFifth |
This outpost seems to be part of a trade route, so we should be able to find a Maraketh caravan. They are an honourable people, and I have no doubt they will assist us.
— Our Next Move |
The trail of Corruption leads east, so east we shall go, to the Plains of Vastiri...
— HoodedOneEndOfA1FollowSeed |
What if the Faridun attack your flank through the lower pass?
— MentorConversationWithAsalaOne |
I see.
— MentorConversationWithAsalaTwo |
The Perennial King has the Seed. Your outriders will become confused when they draw near its influence.
— MentorConversationWithAsalaThree |
A wise plan.
— MentorConversationWithAsalaFour |
I am curious, what led to Keth's decline?
— MentorConversationWithZarkaOne |
Was any attempt made to irrigate and conserve water?
— MentorConversationWithZarkaTwo |
I suppose it could be looked at that way...
— MentorConversationWithZarkaThree |
I've likely said this before, but I was captivated by her. Not just by her appearance, which Divinity crafted for her, but by the fierceness of her soul.
— MentorConversationWithZarkaFour |
I certainly hope so.
— MentorConversationWithZarkaFive |
[DNT] Greetings.
— mentor |
Utzaal is close. Be careful. The Vaal heavily relied on the use of corruption. Their lands may still be dangerous.
— Legacy of the Vaal |
From memory, somewhere in this region, there were sophisticated canals and waterways. We might be able to use them to drain this lake. We must hope that the mechanisms are still functioning, despite their age. It is the only way to reverse the drowning of this once thriving city... the first step in our search for the secret knowledge of the Vaal.
— Mentor_G3_Town_Post_Alva_Intro |
It is strange to return to this place of my divine youth and see it so aged and forgotten. When I was here, the Vaal were the height of civilisation, and their future was bright.They had their problems, like any other people, but I thought I could free them from the moral hazards of Divinity by removing gods from the equation.While we are here, I would like to discover whether this ruination is my fault, or whether something else happened to them...
— The Vaal |
Because we have lost the trail of the Seed of Destruction, our only hope is to seek the knowledge of those who studied the Beast for centuries: the Vaal. I know something of the Beast's creation myself... but I was asleep while it was actually alive. There is only one Vaal city left intact after two thousand years, and that is where we must go. In my wanderings these last twenty years, I have seen evidence that a Vaal scientist was working on an incredibly powerful device intended to defend his people against a potential Cataclysm. Obviously, it wasn't completed in time... but perhaps we can pick up where he left off.
— Ancient Device |
Utzaal is the last intact Vaal city, for a reason that will also be our greatest hurdle. During the first Cataclysm, the city was flooded, killing most of its population and burying its wealth under a valley of water. Corruption has since poisoned that water, making it impossible for anyone to loot the city. From my time in Utzaal when I was young, I do have some idea how to solve this problem... we shall speak again when we find it.
— Utzaal |
You have found the Waterways? Search it for a control mechanism. Vaal technology, at least in that era, was based on engraved stonework and latent systems of channeled energy. It should be operational, even after all this time... drain the city, and let us see what ancient secrets Utzaal has kept protected for us.
— Lowering the Water |
Returning with Doryani was an inspired move. As the foremost expert on the Beast that ever lived, he is exactly the man we need.
I doubt we can trust him in a broader sense, but, for the moment, our goals are aligned. He wishes to contain the Beast, and so do we.
If he thinks we should travel south to Ngamakanui, then so we shall. This weapon of the Precursors... it may just be our best hope...
— Doryani's Capture |
The members of this expedition seem to believe the Ziggurat beneath our feet holds an ancient device that was intended to be used against the Cataclysm that destroyed the Vaal.
The source of that Cataclysm was the previous Beast... which means the device below may be exactly what we need to stop the new one. Find your way into the Ziggurat, and let us see what the greatest minds of the Vaal Empire created.
If they didn't manage to complete it in time, maybe we can finish their work...
— Lowering the Water |
This portal provides an opportunity that I had never considered. To consult the greatest minds of the Vaal directly.
Enter the portal. Find their experts on the Beast, or on Corruption. They may know of ways to control corruption that even I am not aware of.
— Ancient Gateway |
The Beast is on the move, twisting the desert as it goes, waking ancient dead and unknown horrors alike. The Countess brought it here as part of some nefarious plan. I assume she has allies here. We must track them down and convince them to give up this madness.
— Our Next Move |
Asala has agreed to aid us, exactly as I expected. The Beast represents an existential threat to all the peoples of Wraeclast, but even beyond that, she seems to be quite driven. She reminds me of a rambunctious young woman I once knew in Keth, who eventually rose to power, attained divinity, and led her people to greatness.
— Asala |
I am accustomed to others shivering and turning away when my gaze falls upon them, but I must confess, for once the feeling is reversed. Although she is blind, I sometimes have the strangest notion that she is looking at me - even at night.
— Shambrin |
It takes courage to go against one's people. I once faced a similar decision. There were men and women like me, who believed themselves to be exceptional, and they were correct... terribly, horribly correct. I cursed myself to a permanent exile from my own peers by betraying them. I was unlike mortals, but hated by immortals. I was alone. I would do it all again... and I still might.
— Risu |
You have no idea how much restraint it requires to listen to tales of peoples and places I knew, yet {not} correct her. She's close, I shall grant her that. Often startlingly so, in certain details or sequences of events, but the spirit of what happened thousands of years ago, the {essence} of that life... it has been embellished. Yet other times, the stories convey only a pale shadow, and the true magnificence is lost. Or is it my memories that have drifted with time? I suppose we shall never know, because those days are gone, never to return... all that I once loved has been dust hundreds of years longer than you have even been alive.
— Zarka |
Those creatures are too coherent and intelligent to be manifestations of Corruption. I suspect they are the descendants of Divine tampering. There was a being I once knew in the ancient days, a trickster who would have appreciated someone to laugh at his ill-conceived humour. What more perfect audience for a sickening jester than a pack of gibbering hyenas?
— Sun Clan Hyenas |
The Maraketh have a cultural history deeper than most know. Theirs is a strict tradition, bordering on brutal, but it is that adherence to shared beliefs that has kept them strong when entire Empires have come and gone around them.
— The Maraketh |
Yes, I have seen the slaves pulling the carts. I am uncomfortable with the practice, but from what I understand, it allows those captured in battle to serve rather than simply being executed. There are not enough resources to keep prisoners who do not work. In this harsh land, it is perhaps the lesser of two evils. That is... what I tell myself, at least.
— Slavery |
The Countess has used Corruption to resurrect Jamanra, and they have escaped with the Beast... thankfully, we have some idea what the Faridun intend. We must reach Deshar as soon as possible.
— Our Next Move |
They call themselves the Faridun in this era, but they have died out and been reborn many times. They are not an independent culture. They are the Maraketh's dark secret, the inevitable consequence of life's haphazard nature. A society cannot simply purge itself of the weak, the ill, or the disadvantaged. Those unwanted newborns who are abandoned among the dunes... they rarely die, no matter how much the Maraketh wish to make them simply disappear. No, they live. The Faridun are the shadow of the Maraketh, always just out of sight, always watching. They rescue those children and raise them on the outside, looking in. An unspoken relief for the father and mother that must give up their child, but a gathering storm fated to one day return home with a fury.
— The Faridun |
Ah, Keth. Now nothing but dunes of sand, but once, it was glorious. The waters flowed in patterns crafted by artisans of skill beyond belief. The hanging gardens could impress even the most jaded heart.
— Keth |
Do not tarry long in that valley. There are ancient pacts in this world that govern more than you and I are meant to know, but we still may suffer the consequences if we break them. Do what you must, and then abscond.
— Valley of the Titans |
The lost-men of the Badlands have no knowledge of our wars. They will attack you because they do not understand you. It is unfortunate, but we cannot allow them to stand in the way. This conflict will determine their fate as well, so in a sense, we are saving them despite themselves. The greater good is all that matters.
— Mastodon Badlands |
I am not Maraketh, but I did come to love this land and its people. They built their necropolis during the height of Keth's power, so I am pleasantly surprised to find that the towers are still standing. In the end, the works of Man may outlast the gods themselves.
— Deshar |
The path to Deshar has been opened. Infiltrate the towers, and stop the Faridun from feeding the Beast!
— Our Next Move |
We are out of time. The Beast may already be too dangerous to contain through mortal means. The time for all-out war has arrived. Help the Ardura attack the Faridun war machine before it is too late!
— Our Next Move |
My worst fears have been realised. The Beast is beyond our means now.
— Worst Fears |
My worst fears have been realised. The Beast is beyond our means now.
— HoodedOneA2RevealIntroduction_HoodDown |
You're right. I have not been entirely forthcoming ... it is time I told you who I truly am.
— Confession |
You're right. I have not been entirely forthcoming ... it is time I told you who I truly am.
— HoodedOneA2RevealIntroductionTwo_HoodDown |
I am... a god. I am the Thief of Virtue. I am Sin. And I have failed once again. It was I who created the Beast... the Seed of Corruption that now threatens to grow anew, and it is my responsibility. As it is my creation that once again threatens all of Wraeclast, it is by my hand that it must be contained. All I can ask is that, knowing who I am, you still see the importance of our task.
— Identity |
The Beast has grown beyond our ability to contain it. We must search for something greater than we currently possess, something that can drain its power and bring it back to a more manageable form. While I slumbered under the numbing effects of Corruption, there was an empire that mastered the use of that deadly energy. We must go to the jungles of the long-ago Vaal. Their ruins may yet hold the secrets we need. That is where we must go, to the sunken city of Utzaal. It is our only hope.
— HoodedOneA2RevealConfessionContinue |
The Beast has grown beyond our ability to contain it. We must search for something greater than we currently possess, something that can drain its power and bring it back to a more manageable form. While I slumbered under the numbing effects of Corruption, there was an empire that mastered the use of that deadly energy. We must go to the jungles of the long-ago Vaal. Their ruins may yet hold the secrets we need. That is where we must go, to the sunken city of Utzaal. It is our only hope.
— To Utzaal |
I am thousands of years old. I was mortal first, but then I was deified against my will by my brother... but that is a story for another time. I spent my early divine life in Keth. I loved, and was loved. I even had a daughter. This shrine depicts them both. They were revered by the Maraketh.
— The Shrine |
Garukhan was the true jewel of the Vastiri, at least to me. Divine love is much like mortal love, at least from what I can remember, and we were happy for a time longer than the lives of many mortal men. The time came, however, when love was not enough. Her humanity sifted through the cracks of her life like fine sand, leaving a divine shell that held her image, but nothing of her soul. It is a trap, you see. Divinity. Faith empowers, but faith also shapes. To gather more power, a god must play the part, becoming more and more the icon their followers perceive. When does perception become reality? It's impossible to pinpoint, and that's the most sinister thing about it. You never know the moment you cross the line.
— Wife |
You want the truth? I betrayed her, and had her killed. There are not enough excuses in all of Wraeclast to make up for what I did. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. I thought it was the only way to save humanity. And yet, here we are again, chasing the Beast and fighting for the fate of the world. I am beginning to suspect that the cycle of history may never end, unless we surpass ourselves and find another way. But until we do, we will solve this the only way we know how: with violence.
— Daughter |
The Ardura can take us south, to the edge of the jungle. The sunken city of Utzaal is not hidden, nor hard to reach... it is protected by a different danger, but we will deal with that when we come to it. When you are ready, we should begin the journey as soon as possible.
— Our Next Move |
I was asleep during the era of Jamanra. I cannot attest to the truth of Risu's tale... though I cannot say it is outside the realm of possibility. The Maraketh have strict traditions, erring on the side of brutal.
— Jamanra |
How long has it been? I was hunted... The Count... He stole something that is beyond dangerous... It will cause sickness... Then madness... It can still be contained... We must put the Seed back...
— A Warning |
Yes... please... find it... I am still too weak.... this will only grow worse...
— Find the Seed |
I must... thank you... for releasing me. I am... indebted to you... but you must find the Seed. I will aid you in any way that I can. I am still weak, but I have some knowledge that may be of use. Bring me any magical objects you find. I can identify them for you.
— HoodedOneNewReleaseThanks |
The Count accosted me and stole a very dangerous object—a Seed that I have kept hidden from humanity. Somehow, he knew that I possessed it. He cannot possibly know how dangerous it is. His attempts to harness its power will court disaster. You must hurry to the Village. At the very least, those who are still sane may be convinced to aid in containing the Seed.
— Count Geonor |
The trail of Corruption leads east, so east we shall go. It seems fate conspires to return me to the Plains of Vastiri...
— Follow the Beast's trail |
The boundless horrors of mishandled Corruption cannot be conveyed simply through words. I only hope that you can find and contain the Seed before it is too late.
— The Seed of Corruption |
Twenty years ago, in the wake of those tremendous events, mankind was busy with its own survival. No one was looking for me, and no one saw me. I lurked in high places, and dark places, seeking to keep the Seed safe from men of ambition. In recent years, however, I found myself continually forced to move from place to place. There was always one more hunter, one more patrol, one more grove being cut down or cave being mined. There was nowhere to hide, and my path inexorably took me here... which was, apparently, exactly where someone wanted me to be. This was all a trap, laid over the course of years, and at colossal expense. Someone wanted the Seed at any cost, which surely bodes ill for their intentions...
— Hunted |
Somewhere in this region, there were sophisticated canals and waterways. We might be able to use them to drain this lake.
We must hope that the mechanisms are still functioning, despite their age. It is the only way to reverse the drowning of this once thriving city... the first step in our search for the secret knowledge of the Vaal.
— Introduction |
You might not know this, but the common tongue we are speaking is derived from ancient Vaal—they were the largest empire on Wraeclast for thousands of years. They {should} be able to understand you.
— Common Language |
— Mentor_Greeting_1A.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_1B.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_1C.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_2A.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_2B.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_2C.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_3A.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_3B.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_3C.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_4A.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_4B.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_4C.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_5A.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_5B.ogg |
— Mentor_Greeting_5C.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_1A.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_1B.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_1C.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_2A.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_2B.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_2C.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_3A.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_3B.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_3C.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_4A.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_4B.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_4C.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_5A.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_5B.ogg |
— Mentor_Goodbye_5C.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_01_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_01_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_01_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_02_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_02_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_02_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_03_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_03_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_03_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_04_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_04_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Greeting_Sick_04_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_01_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_01_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_01_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_02_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_02_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_02_03.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_03_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_03_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_04_01.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_04_02.ogg |
— MentorA1_Farewell_Sick_04_03.ogg |
