Lunus Path 2: Acquire a Crystalline Vessel For Your Phylactery./Lore
From Istaria Lexica
 This article is a work of fiction related to Istaria. It is part of the background Istarian story.
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Quest Text[edit]
Lantenal tells you, It is not as easy as you believe it to be, hatchling, to create a truly pure crystalline orb. You see, the tricky part to begin with is the crystal itself... it's not in and of itself a complicated product, I mean to say... the material is very specific though. I will be asking you to travel to a meteor crater, and destroy a crystallized golem there. BUT! First you'll have to prove you know the place, and for that I ask you to bring me five shards from the guardians of that location. ,
Lantenal tells you, You don't know where Meteor Crater is? Well I am not one to give good directions, don't get out much you see. I believe it is in the south, on an island. A few of the two-legged types have towns of a sort there. Lerea? Yes, that's one of them, look to there and you'll be finding it!
Lantenal tosses the small handful of shards into the nearest corner, without even bothering a glance in its direction. You notice a sizeable pile of the things is beginning to form..
Lantenal tells you, Already! Very good. You work fast, hatchling. Now now then, it's good you know the location, because you won't have much time. You see, to summon a Crystallized Golem you'll need a special spell cast upon you, and it only lasts a half hour or so... Er, pardon, let me take those from you.
Lantenal tells you, Those are IMPORTANT! You just don't know it. Now then! You will have about a half hour to reach that location again and break some shards from the Crystallized Golem that will appear. Speak to me again when you are ready. And bring friends, I suspect you'll want them.
Lantenal tells you, You are prepared? Already? That was faster than the others. I am giving you the enchantment now, if you fail this time, speak to me again and I can reinstate the enchantment. Reinstate? Reiterate? Hm. Regardless, you have a time limit. Go!
Lantenal tells you, You proved yourself, I take it? Defeating a Crystallized Golem is no small effort. Ah, you have kept its shards I see, good good. Give them here, this will only take a moment.
Lantenal quickly steps to the corner you noticed earlier, and rummages around in the pile of shards before producing one it seems pleased with. Holding it in the same hand as the crystallized shards, the hermit takes a deep breath and stills for a moment..
Suddenly, the hermit turns and plunges that hand into the lava pool, holds it there for a moment in obvious discomfort, before pulling back and turning to you. You see that somehow, the shards have been transformed into a small crystal orb, which you are presented with..
You have received 1 Pure Crystal Orb.
Lantenal tells you, There, you have a first step complete, hatchling. Now then, you've plenty more where that came from yet, you must infuse that orb with your own will and mind in particular. And I may be helping you with other tasks as you go long. BUT! For that I'm not really the one to speak to. May fate treat you kindly.
Valkoth tells you, Now that you have a pure crystal orb, hatchling, you must imbue it with a portion of your spirit. This requires the creation of an artifact. There are few ways, we have found, to properly accomplish such a goal. One is most suitable in character to ourselves and our beliefs, and is a worthy task of a hatchling's acuity as well, so we prefer it. This is to locate and confront a mind lasher.
Valkoth tells you, These are bodiless spirits from some alternate realm, perhaps that of blight, perhaps another -- they are uncommon, though sometimes I wonder as to the degree. Mind lashers have no form of their own, naturally they are a weak spirit, easily dispersed. This is rarely the form you'll find one in however, more commonly they will walk among us as men or dragons, with us barely the wiser.
Valkoth tells you, They steal one's mind and form, then seek to take over your body. If you are overcome, you will be replaced by a creature looking and moving exactly like yourself, with the same memories, but of a different mind. However, an individual controlled by a mind lasher is not truly of the same... quality, I suppose, that they were before. While the lasher has the individual's memories, it can access them only with some difficulty. This is one of the few things that can truly give them away, a sort of halting pause in conversation as they stop and struggle to access their stolen memories and thought processes. Because of this they usually prefer some degree of solitude, to take their host and create a new life and new memories of their own -- this is another that can give them away. Search for a man or dragon who has uprooted his life with great suddenness.
Valkoth tells you, Where do you find one such as this? Ask of shopkeepers, the pawnbrokers, in particular, they often hear news before others. Also, look for those who the lasher has abandoned, usually in favor of a stronger host. These empty souls may still be physically alive, but mentally they are barren, barely even capable of speech or gesture. You may need to ask your fellow gifted to aid you in this, hatchling, as mind lashers typically hide themselves well.. Are you prepared to give this path your attention?
Gilran tells you, I had heard a shop near Dalimond went under in the last few weeks. Hardly seems suspicious, however. I'd talk to Bramdin, the militia man in Bristugo. He's supposed to keep track of this sort of thing.
Bramdin tells you, A shopkeeper closed up and moved out, you say? Not that I'd heard of. Course, I don't do much shopping myself. Ask my wife. She's the one who keeps me fed and happy.
Sheila tells you, Why... yes, Seril was just that way before he disappeared. It was right around the time he insisted we move out here and start this shop, in fact. He was so much quieter than usual those last two weeks. Always talking in short hops. If what you say's true it almost makes sense, like someone looking something up in a book before proceeding. It happened most when I asked him questions about things... it must've been true all along. I don't know where he's gone, perhaps he mentioned something to Elissana on one of his runs to supply our shop. Can you find him, dragon? I'd like at least to know what's become of him.
Elissana tells you, Seril? Yes, I recall him. Odd sort, very glib, preferred to hand me notes rather than talking. I couldn't say where he's gone offhand, though he asked me questions about the Cleric's Tower once, and who inhabited it. It was nearly the only time I ever heard him speak without being spoken to. Perhaps you should try there, and ask the Archbishop Aqua about it.
Tomas tells you, Welcome to the Cleric's Tower, home of the Clerical Order! My name is Archbishop Tomas Aqua, I am here to assist the worthy and bar the... hm?
Tomas tells you, I've seen a man of that description not so long ago, actually. Blond, looked like a warrior in training, though he claimed he was a consigner or something. Nervous type he was, didn't take kindly to my spilling the holy water all over him; I'm rather clumsy about that I'll admit. He got rather hostile.. in fact, I thought he was going to attack me, though he was quite a few ranks below me and I wasn't worried. I tried to calm him, but he went off along the eastern side of the mountain range fuming, said he'd be back.
Tomas tells you, When I say nervous, I really should say 'weird' I suppose. He staggered his speech something mighty, full of starts and stops, and wouldn't look at me even before I spilled water on him. He stormed off heading northeast saying something about finding someone stronger, I suppose he expected to hire some flunky to get revenge on me. Seems a bit much for just some water spillage, to me. All I can remember is that he said something that sounded like "ancient battlefield" and "ocean view". He may be on his way across the bridge to Selen, actually.
The man's speech is nothing but incoherent babbling. As Valkoth said, his mind is barren. Even a dragon inquiring loudly at him gets no reaction. His presence here suggests the mind lasher has found another host... looking around, you pick up a broken staff with an inscription upon it..
Seril tells you, anger... anger... strongervessel... easttoselen... foundonefoundone...
You have received 1 Segment of Broken Staff.
Selen tells you, I recognize that staff, dragon! It belonged to Barmos, the mage who occupied this position until recently. He went missing, and I was drafted to replace him as Selen's gatekeeper. They say he travelled north along the great wall, perhaps Aughundell would be the next logical place, if you seek him. I'd stick to the roads, though, so you don't miss him. No on stationed in Forest Guard right now, but I believe there is in South Gate. May want to check with the folks there to see if he went through the wall on the way to Aughundell.
Barmos tells you, towertower... north... where... intheice... strongervesselfindstronger...
Megian tells you, Finally, someone to talk to other than that whiner! I... oh, oh my. Yes, actually, I have seen a strange animal in the area, a werewolf with unusual coloration for a snowy type. It shows up here occasionally as though keeping tabs on us. Afterwards it heads off west down the peninsula, though I couldn't say exactly where. He'd come running in, then leave again before even talking to us! Perhaps he's out there, perhaps not, I don't know.
Talon tells you, Grrrrr... another one! You tempt me, hatchlinnng, you do you do! You all do!
Talon tells you, Thiss vessel iss strong, yes, much life in it. But not smart, no possibilitiesss... jussst rrun and hunt. But you sssilly dragons sometimess find me... ssteal a piece of me... you are alwayss protected by your little frienddsss, NEED their protectionss. I knoww what you want, I do. You wissh my sservices, yess? Wissh to defeat mme and get a sliverr of your mmmind into that pretty bauble. Thiss is a sservisse I will sell to you. I havve a businnness propossition, I do. Thiss will cost you cossst you it will.
Talon tells you, Grrrr... good good. I have alliesss I do, myself... as all beingss do, even thosse of blight. I wissh to communicate with them. One you will ffind is called Kaa, the other Lem. They inhabbit vessels not sso different... from thiss one at times... at othersss they are mmen like any otherss. Both are much sstronger than I... have no thoughts of thisss ssame bargain with themm hatchlinnng.
Talon tells you, Botth have been here for mmany yearrs, grrrrr. I am wweak compared to them... their mindsss... They can commannd more than a sssingle vessel they can. Botth are in two, thhree, perhaps more, places at oncce. Ssome of their formms are knownn to your kind, hatchlinnng, otherss not. But but... I am clever, I knnow thinnngs, they resspect me and mmy methhods. Now, given you hhave accepted thiss bargain, yess, take thesse messagesss to them. They dwellsss in the wesstern desert.
Talon tells you, Verrry good, little lissard. I will give you nno paper, you must pass this mmessage by memmory. Sspeak to Kaa, inforrm him of my wherreabouts and tell himm neitherrr three nor four is what he sseeks. Sspeak to Lem, tell him he may seek thrrree, but nevver fivve. Tell them both mmy investigation is yet incomplete, but matters require my stay here for some time. I hope thiss is clearrrr, lissard.
Kaa tells you, Another one? I am amazed by... steady influx of messengers that Esh manages... recruit. He must have found something we have not seen... a clever one, Esh is.
Kaa tells you, I fight one who does not die... I know the other is one of them, for Shade has killed it before. Someday... must take one as a vessel, it would provide much less trouble in the lengthy term, I think.
Lem tells you, Good, I am always glad... another of Esh's messengers. I do not know what he pays these but... he does seem to find them. Thank Esh for his words.
Lem tells you, Don't worry so, lissard. I know... kind, you are strong, but have limitations. Perhaps... you are older.
Talon tells you, Grrrr... verrry good, little thinng. Your sservicesss are of bennefit, as mmine shalll be to you. Noww, do not sspeak a word of thiss to your friendsss... to sspeak of me perhappss... but sspeak of my alliess and I shall finnd you in yourr litte lissard cave at nnight, yess. You did not think I would really give you the knowledge you ssseeek, did you? You ssserved me well... but now be gone with you.
Talon tells you, Thisss will not end well... for you, little thing. I amm preparrred. Travell east a bit, to the ennd of thisss peninssulaa beyond the three frozzen poolllss... I shalll follow sshortly... I musst prepare my new fform, you may finnnd it ffamiliarr.
With a final blow, the doppleganger falls. Clearly not the end of it however, as you see the same nearly invisible spirit rise from the unconscious form. Just as Valkoth said, the orb suddenly flashes and absorbs a portion of the defenseless spirit. You feel suddenly hollow as you realize it has taken a sliver of your mind, still held in the flayer's sway, as well..
You have received 1 Crystal of Captured Mind.
Valkoth tells you, It worked WITH you? This is rather unusual in my experience... a mind lasher is typically more than hostile when tracked down. Let us hope this doesn't signify larger problems in the future.
Valkoth tells you, I'm sure you have looked at the flickering crystal and seen that the spirit inside is angry, evil. Your next step, hatchling, is to purify this, eliminating the dark spirit and leaving only your own. In my time there were many dragons capable of this purification, but the world has changed since then, and now I would suggest travelling to the Tower of Healing, in the desert to the west of Tazoon. There you should find someone capable of this magic. It demeans us to rely on the lesser races for such things, but problems like this can be repaired in time. Harle Aela is the only one with such knowledge now.
Patriarch tells you, You ask for a rare spell, dragon. I suspect I can do the task, however. Allow me five minutes of preparation, then speak to me again, if you could.
It has been five minutes; perhaps the healer is ready now..
Patriarch tells you, The healer's glowing hands touch the crystal, and you see the mad flickering within being replaced by a calm, steady glow.
Patriarch tells you, There, it is done. I have been asked of this task several times recently, and I am becoming quite adept at it. Good travels, dragon.
You have received 1 Charged Crystal Orb.
Valkoth tells you, You have done well, hatchling. You are nearing the end of your trials now and nearly prepared for the ritual that will take you to adulthood.
