Part 37: Kiya

Chapter 32 - Kiya

Music: "Dark Wizard"
(Click here to download) (thanks to Grawl)



VIDEO: Kiya's Crypt, complete


The crypt was cold and damp. A mutant was there to greet them, but D.K. dispatched it quickly.

The next room was very large. Kiya was waiting for them.




Welcome, welcome… [cackles] Glad you could drop in and visit. Pull up a chair, can I get you some tea?
Don't be fooled by her mockery, human. This is about to get *very* serious.
Yeah, I got it.
So kind of you to bring *my* new Death Knight. … But first, come down into my private chamber… and don't get too distracted by my playmates on your way… [cackles]

With that she teleported away, leaving her hordes of weak mutants to attack.









Finally, the crypt was still and quiet again.




Hmmm… I wonder if this is where we can find that amulet that the weapons merchant wanted.
Let's find out.

Mort opened it up, and out stepped a ghost.

Who… disturbs… me?
Ah… um… wrong door?
I… know… what… you… want…




Who… has… sent… you… to… get… my… amulet?
Ah… crap… What did the merchant say about the story behind the amulet?
I think he mentioned having a daughter…
Your daughter sent me.
My… daughter… my… love. she… lives! … Here… is… the… amulet… but… one… word… of… warning… Only… my… daughter… can… wear… this… amulet… anybody… else… will die…
I suggest you don't ignore this warning! We can still sell this amulet to the merchant without telling him!
That's not very nice.
I'm a Death Knight! We don't do *nice*!




With that out of the way, it was time to confront the witch herself.




Now you will see my true power, human! … You are now under my spell, Death Knight… come to me… come to your new mistress…
I… follow you… mistress… I obey…
What's happening?
I… can't fight it… her call… I have to… go to her…
Your Death Knight us mine now, human… he will obey *my* orders… come to my side, servant…
I… have to… obey…




D.K. walked across the room, appearing to struggle with each step he took.

Attack him, servant… kill him for me! [cackles]






The human may me a bit of a pain in the backside, but I'm not about to kill him, witch!
What? You… resist? How can this be…?
It appears I'm not quite as under your spell as you thought!

With that, the battle was on!




Kiya teleported around the room to cast spells, but as her first blunder was to teleport directly onto an Insect Swarm trap…






She offered surprisingly little resistance.



Not that I'm ungrateful to not be a slave or dead… but why didn't her spell work?
It must have been the soulforge! I thought it might let Kiya steal your free will as well. But instead it seems it let *your* free will overpower Kiya's spell!
Oh… that makes sense, I guess.
The beauty of that theory is that it seems very plausible, because it is actually correct... in ALMOST every single way…
Hey… you're starting to warm up to me!
What? Not at all, human!
Yes. You only called me *a bit* of a pain in your backside. Not a "huge pain" or an "unbearable pain", or…
Don't start planning the honeymoon, human! I misspoke. You ARE an unbearable pain in my backside. Now come on, let's get out of here. With Kiya dead, we're now top-ranked and we can see the bishop.






…
I guess the Bishop will have to wait.
How many more of these damn things are there?


VIDEO: Necromancer 4 - Why did the crystal shatter?


You've found me another crystal fragment. I'm pleased, human.
If it was such a powerful artifact, how come it shattered?
You should ask your companion, Death Knight… it was their fault… I felt the magical power of the crystal calling to me, even though I was a world away, in Rivellon. … The origin of such great power could only come from an extremely rare artifact… It was easy for me to locate the source and I attempted to summon anyone nearby… During the summoning, I felt a power working against me… as if the magical energy was changed… twisted somehow… like a snake, as I tried to control it. I wanted to cease the summoning, but I was distracted… Knights attacked my tower… and one entered my summoning chamber at exactly the moment when the summoning went wrong. Don't you remember this, human?
Everything about that moment is just a hazy blur.
But, before I could abort the summoning there was a mighty implosion and a blinding light… when I could see clearly again, the attacker was gone… and so was the magical power of the artifact! … I was forced to flee before the other attackers reached me… it was only later that I discovered, the artifact had the form of a crystal. … It shattered during my summoning attempt, and the fragments were shattered across both worlds, radiating chaos magic where they fell. … But with your help, I'll soon have all the pieces… and speaking of pieces, human… I think I've found another one!
Whereabouts?
In the wastelands, near a salt mine… I'm sending you there now.


Music - "Scorching Wind"
Download (Thanks to Grawl)



Mort and D.K. materialized in a small desert village.




Welcome… what are you doing in this god-forsaken place?
Nosy creature, isn't he?
Strange to see your type here. But stranger things have happened recently…
Strange things like what?
Like the fact we were driven out of our mine this afternoon… by some imps!
I don't understand why… the imps have never bothered us before…
They've not followed us to the surface, so I think they'll be gone in a while. We should simply wait…
So you don't usually have problems with the imps?
I smell chaos magic at work!
We don't have much to do with them normally. But they are acting very strangely lately… they've never shown up in our mines before…
What would they want in our mine? They hate salt!
Hopefully they'll leave soon.. but maybe you can find out what's behind their strange behaviour?
We should check this out.
What's your name?
My name is Murray… I and my companions own the salt mine… we sell salt to the nearest cities…
My name is Henry… I'm a former healer's apprentice… but selling salt is far more lucrative…
My name is Rupert… but with all the gold we get for this salt, I might marry a noble soon… then you'll have to call me Sir Rupert!
Have you seen a crystal around here?
What crystal is that? Do you mean salt crystals? I haven't seen any other crystals around here…
Crystal? No, we never found any in our cave… only salt.
Salt crystals, yes… but they are not strange to me!
So the salt mine is important to you?
The salt mine is the only reason we're still here… otherwise this settlement would have been abandoned a long time ago…
Yes! The salt mine is a nice little earner. We even sell our salt to the elves in the Dark Forest… especially after their latest quarrel with the dwarves…
I own part of the mine… it was a great investment!
Tell me about the imps.
The imps are acting strangely… they've never caused us any problems before. What do they want with our mine? Especially when they don't like salt!
They're nasty little creatures… but powerful… fortunately they never follow us to the surface…
I hope the Divine One will kill all imps eventually…

Mort and D.K. descended into the mine.






Kill the thieves!

The imp charged on the attack.

You don't know how long I've been waiting for this!

D.K. cut the imp down mercilessly. Mort and D.K. continued to move cautiously through the salt mine.








Stop 'uman… What you want from imps? Stealing not enough?
Who is this imp?
Who are you?
Me Zaknadrix… live down here in imp town…
An imp town underground, how odd!
We live not far from here, but below… All water supplies of imp town run dry… we asked Shaman, and Shaman say, he saw 'umans above bathing in water… Me not know how, but 'umans stole water…
Have you seen a crystal fragment around here?
We not have crystal, but Shaman saw crystal in hand of 'uman above… Normally we strong… 'umans couldn't withstand imp warriors… but you saw imps we sent up… imps never liked salt mines, but now salt is poison to us… imps lose minds in caves above.
Not much to lose!
Imps prepare great army… even when lose minds, some imps will reach surface and kill 'umans!
No, don't do that!
We have no choice… down here, we die from thirst, on surface, we die in battle!
I can help you.
You will help imps? Bring back water then… and imps won't go to surface… otherwise, imps on warpath against 'umans… other imp tribes will soon follow…

Mort and D.K. returned to the surface.




There you are again, stranger? Have you solved the imp problem?
They said you stole their water!
Ridiculous, why would we do that?
We don't need water. We filled three wells recently, we have all we need.
You've got wells here?
Yes, in the past we had to walk for three hours to get fresh water… but this is no longer necessary… after our wells were filled with water again overnight…
When was that?
A few nights ago… one morning, we suddenly had plenty of water… you see, we don't need to steal water from imps…
Somehow, I don't think this was the only thing that happened?
Was there anything else?
Hmm… eh… okay. Yes, something else happened… we found a crystal in my cellar. I don't know how it got there.
It was a sign from the gods… the crystal is a token of our good fortune!
Why didn't he tell us about the crystal before?
Why didn't you mention the crystal before?
We feared you might steal it… I mean, a crystal that brings water has got to be worth something!
It's still in my cellar…
Can I see your cellar, please?
What do you want in my cellar?

D.K. brandished his sword idly. Not quite a threat, but a suggestion that a threat might occur soon.

I'd be more than happy to force him to show us, human!
Don't get angry with me… Very well, here's the key to the cellar-hatch in my house… but you can't remove the crystal… we won't allow it…




Mort and D.K. entered the cellar.




Knowing what was likely to follow, Mort decided to drop a couple of traps.






The wells have dried out again before our eyes… They must have done something with the crystal…
What happened, did they swallow it?
I will cut them open… they won't leave here alive!






After the miners were dead, the imp chief teleported in.

You bring water back, 'uman… and you killed your kind to save imps? … I not understand, but you done good… Zaknadrix thanks…

The blue seal appeared under mort and D.K's feet to indicate an imminent teleportation…

Why you leaving so soon? I want to give you reward…
Oh, not again!





Congratulations, human. You continue to surprise me. Very well, you're released… for now!




Stairs led out of Kiya's crypt. A messenger was waiting at the top.




The Black Bish… eh… I mean the Honourable Bishop wants to see you. He awaits you in his room inside the Church.
Finally. About time, too!
Where'ya goin'? Can I come?




No, we aren't done with the Necromancer just yet…


Wrong Answer

All wrong answers cause the ghost and his skeleton guards to attack you. He drops the amulet after he dies, but you don't get the warning about it being dangerous…

Your sister sent me.
My… Sister… this… snake… she… shall… never… have… it…

Your son sent me.
My… son…? I… have… no… son… liar…

Your mother sent me.
My… mother… is… dead… for… many… years… liar…

A merchant sent me.
A… merchant…? You… common… thief…


Reader Participation:

1) If you recall, early in the act, a merchant wanted us to retrieve an amulet from Kiya's crypt. Alas, the skeleton warned us that if anyone other than his daughter wears that, they will die. (Yes, that includes us.) Should we warn the merchant about this, or not?

(This is the last bit of business I can do before I reach the point of no return, and I would like a firm answer on this, I can't finish the next chapter without it, because Chapter 34 should have us past the point of no return.)