Part 51: Wander and Ponder

Wander and Ponder

You need some time to think, and you can't do that while all of Trajkov's eyes are on you. There are lands west of here that you've barely touched, paths you haven't explored. Perhaps something there might help you reach a decision.






You know that smell -- spawners. The Sholai have set them here to guard the western approach without risking any more precious humans. Can the augmented Sholai be called human anymore? Surely not. Those of you who have used canisters are now a breed apart. You are perhaps closer to creations than to humans and other Shapers as a result.

That the Sholai are willing to create rogues and let them reproduce uncontrollably doesn't speak well to Trajkov. He tried to disavow the other outsiders' actions, how they use and abuse Shaper powers, but they are his subordinates. He should take responsibility. He should rein them in.

You don't know if he will even try once he succeeds in using the Geneforge.







These thoughts occupy you as you explore a small way station to the north. Sadly, the essence pools here have long since dried up. The locks appear intact and untouched; the outsiders haven't made use of these chambers. The air is stale and has the faintest taste of mildew.



The presence of hostile turrets shouldn't be a surprise, but you are distracted. Dmar wanders into their sights first thanks to your inattention.



Though Dmar is stung, the glaahk still crushes the nearest turret with ease. The vlish squad takes out the next one.



You decide to head eastwards along the canyon passage instead of entering the wide-open room to the north. If that door is open, Sholai have probably entered and set up an irritating trap. You'll test the canyon defenses first. At least the long, mostly straight defile provides few hiding places for ambushers and turrets.







Your nose hasn't led you astray. The abominable shaper, its turret guards, and its spectral creations are all crushed by your team. Everyone gets an extra ration of meat in celebration.

You aren't exactly certain how vlish consume meat, but they still accept it. You don't watch too closely. You may have shaped them, but that was thanks to the power of the canisters, not due to your own earned knowledge.



The outsiders have set up a shooting gallery by emplacing turrets across a pool. Swimming it doesn't look like a good idea -- nothing but greenish slime lines the banks, and all the skeletons around here suggest that the water here is so tainted as to be incompatible with life.

Your vlish make short work of the turrets. If they were reaper types, you'd be more concerned about safety, but these are the ordinary acid type.





Another spawner blocks the path just past the chamber you first explored in these hills.



The glaahks destroy the turrets first, and then turn on the spawner. You direct the vlish to incapacitate the charged thahd. The skirmish is over in seconds. The idea behind the placement is sound, but the creations themselves aren't particularly powerful. This must be the first line of defenses.





A wide crack in the canyon wall circles around to a dead end. Weathered rubble from some long ago collapse masks the terminus; maybe there used to be a cave or even another Shaper ruin here. Some more lattice crystals have cropped up here and you use them.

You kill the lone turret quickly and find a living tool and a brown spore baton for your trouble. Someone probably forgot them here.



The canyon trail road traces a wandering path north. You follow it to a door that slips open. The air here isn't very good, but it's cool. You take a moment to patch up the trivial wounds left by turrets and rogues.





The path that wends south leads to the other side of the turret moat you encountered earlier. One strong turret was placed to guard the others' backs, but alone, it isn't much of a threat.



The middle branch ends at a locked door...



The interior proves unexpectedly large. Someone has used up a canister left here by two dried up essence pools. You smell something foul.



Two turrets guard the way to a desiccated corpse. The musty, overripe scent of death still lingers here. The corpse is in such bad condition that you can't tell if the person died of wounds or from other causes. They left behind some decent looking supplies, but most of them smell so terrible that you give up on taking them along. The only thing you salvage is a green spore baton. Even reeking like death, it's too useful to leave behind.



You find the road again as well as yet another spawner.



Unlike the others, this one produces searing artila.

The road continues eastwards toward the Geneforge. For now, you head west. There may be more spawners to destroy.







This small ruin, guarded by yet more turrets, is infested with spectral rogues. The outsiders should have also learned from the Shapers' mistakes, not just their texts...





The turret in the back guards two chests containing a fair number of thorns, pods, and crystals, as well as some well-wrapped steel swords.

The end of the canyon path wraps back around to yet another trio of turrets placed behind a moat. Thanks to approaching from behind, you are able to eliminate the guard turret with little trouble and then destroy the two moat turrets before they detect you.





You find another spawner and destroy it. The searing artila are more bothersome than charged thahds; their acid is painfully potent.



You return to the open door you passed up hours before. Dead soil has blown in and mounded up in the corners. The statues are shrouded in dust.



Someone has looted the tombs. Given that they left behind weapons and gemstones, they were looking for Shaper knowledge, not grave goods.





But two of the sarcophagi are still intact. The learning of Shapers past helps you improve your understanding of healing craft and of roamers.

With that, you believe you've completely charted the canyon route.





The road leading back to the Geneforge stays dusty and barren. The ancient poisons still taint the earth. These canyons were probably marginal to begin with, but now they are a death trap for any being who loses their path here.

The nearby obelisk reads, "CRISIS REGION. For supplies and instructions, report to Kantre. For assistance, report to Health and Holding."

Well, Sucia Island is certainly in the throes of crisis. You doubt this Kantre still lives, but you might find something useful here.



A feral battle alpha is the first to greet you. Geokinesis and Talow drop it with little effort.



Just behind another rogue you see a cowering servile. Strange...



After the alpha falls, the servile walks nervously up to you. This servile isn't like the others on the island. It looks innocent. Obedient. Dumb. Much closer to what you're used to. Must be a fresh creation. Body of adult, mind of child.

It smiles and pokes the ground nervously with its toe. "I am Fwee. Welcome to the Realm of Kantre, Shaper. I am honored to see you. Now leave, or you will be slain."

"Why does everything here want to kill me?" you ask. You're worn down and would rather not have to slash and burn the rest of your way back to Trajkov.

"Because Kantre wills it. It protects these valleys from all infections, because it is the time of crisis. Kantre is made to do great things in the time of crisis." Fwee is not very helpful, but you suppose Kantre is a mind left here in case of disaster.

"I would prefer not to be attacked. Is this possible?"

"No, because Kantre wills it. Kantre is charged by the great Danette to protect these sacred vales in the time of crisis, which he has done for all known time. Kantre is afraid you bring impurity, and he is charged to deal with you, and he wills it."

Here you can tell Fwee that Kantre sounds like a dangerous rogue and that you must deal with it. This turns the whole zone hostile and triggers infinite spawning platforms.

"Danette? I know of Danette." Well, that's not a lie, but the next part is. "She sent me here to speak with Kantre."

"Oh. Well, that is not important. I am sure that the will of Kantre will be a harsh..." Fwee stops speaking. His head tilts to one side. There is a long pause. Then he speaks again. "Kantre wills that you shall speak with him. It is a surprising honor. The creations will not attack you until you can answer to Kantre. It is his will."

"I see... Thank you. Tell me about Kantre. Where are they?"

"Kantre is very wise. Kantre was placed here to act in a time of crisis. Then the time of crisis happened. Kantre was stern and wise and brought about his will."

Fwee knows nothing. The servile's adoration is almost painful. "What is the time of crisis?" Understanding how Kantre sees events on the island might help you deal with it.

"It was said that there might come a time when the great research halls would have a crisis, and poisons would flow forth, and rogues would claim all of everything. In this event, this dominion was created, and Kantre was given mastery over it, to provide protection and succor to the hurt and dissolving."

Fwee points the way towards Kantre; once you leave the servile and walk far enough, the entry becomes obvious. Nevertheless, you put off actually approaching Kantre's domain.



This door doesn't open, and you can't find a lever.

If you anger Kantre, this just disgorges hostile creations.



South of the locked door, you locate a small set of chambers. The northern one is clogged with active mines. The next is marked with an obelisk labeled "HIGH CLEARANCE HOLDING. Warning! Reapers!" That doesn't sound welcoming. You move on.





A tiny apothecary still has goods on its lone counter. But what lures you in is the twinkle of an intact canister. You use it without really consciously intending to, and it bestows upon you an even more powerful antitoxin spell.





The eastern plaza is much more built up than the other areas, but the surviving locks are too complex for your unlocking spell, and you don't have a full complement of living tools on you. The only open chambers are ruined shops that have already been cleaned out.





The center of Kantre's domain is a shell of what it must have been centuries ago. Most of the buildings are merely rubble. Bones are strewn everywhere, as though the alphas here fought off fierce attackers. The sun and tainted soil have badly aged the remains, so you can't tell how long ago any of this happened.



A double row of modified Shaping circles greets you first. They look similar to what you found in the tombs Danette had secretly built. You suspect that Kantre must use these to unleash the creations left behind here... You hope that they're not actually spawners too.




You meet Mind Kantre, servant mind and controller of this area. One look into the creature's watery eyes tells you that its isolation on Sucia Island has driven it thoroughly mad. It smiles at you and twitches.

"Shaper, you come to my dominion. It is the time of crisis. I am charged by Danette to protect the... the... protect. I see you as a thing of infection. Explain yourself, or I destroy you."

There's really only one way to peacefully resolve this, and you need a leadership score of at least 8 to do it. Otherwise your options are, "You dare threaten a Shaper? Do your worst, rogue" or "Wait. We need to discuss this," both of which end in a fight. You can say "l have no interest in this conversation" and just screw right off, but then you miss out on goodies.

"Danette sent me to check on you. Do not attack." You're gambling on Kantre having no better an understanding of a Shaper's lifespan than any other creation you've met so far.

Kantre looks at you, doubtful. You stare back at it. Something in your voice made the creature think you might be telling the truth. "I cannot slay you, not if you are my creator. Tell me, what are my new instructions?"

You didn't say that you are Danette, but, well, this is also acceptable. "Continue doing what you have been doing. You are doing well. However, I need to pass safely."

You can try to convince Kantre to kill itself: "Your time of long, noble service can at last end. Danette wants you to deactivate yourself."

Kantre smiles. "Thank you. I am glad. I am glad my service and my will have been good." Maybe too good. With nothing to divert its thoughts and no socialization but simple serviles, the servant mind has become hopelessly obsessed. "You may pass through here safely. Oh. I forgot. You will need a key." It points at the cabinet next to it with its withered hand. "And I also have the items you wanted me to store."

You hear a click from a door in the east wall.

"What is this area for?" you ask.

"This is where Shapers come in the time of crisis. There are shops and an apothecary and places for rogues and places to meet and organize. It is all here in case there is a disaster in the halls of research to the east."

"How can I enter the halls of research?"

"Take the key from my cabinet and go east. That is where the meeting halls and apothecary are. Beyond there is the research halls. You need an entry baton to enter, though."

You have one, but on the off chance that you can secure another, you ask, "Where can I get an entry baton?"

Unfortunately, Kantre replies, "I don't know. Records of all of that are in Kazg." It's been so long that you don't even remember if Kazg is where you first learned of the batons.

"Why did she leave?" you ask, quickly switching subjects.

"She never came to say. She never even said goodbye."

You pity Kantre a little. The servant mind has made your journey a little more difficult, but it is only trying to fulfill its creator's commands. Even mad, Kantre remains loyal.

"What do you remember of Danette?"

"So little. I am sad. I remember her words, but not what she was like. She was very wise. She controlled all research here. Then she left," Kantre says.

Danette wasn't very wise. Cunning and curious, yes... but not wise, not based on all the mistakes that make up this island.

"That is all I need from you."

"Yes, Shaper. Thank you, Shaper." Kantre closes its eyes.



The two rooms opposite Kantre are packed with high quality Shaped goods and even some intact supplies.



On your way to investigate the locked western door, you find the ruins of a kitchen.



The western door remains closed, so you head south towards the guarded chambers.



Kantre didn't or couldn't deactivate the mines, so you detonate them with the green spore baton. There's a spent or ruined canister in the back; you're not sure which it was. You do find a rod of defenses in one of the cabinets, though, and that is well worth taking.



Only two reaper turrets guard this room. Your vlish terrify them and then destroy them.



The turrets guarded a very fine piece of Shaper work.



The chambers east of Kantre's room have two intact essence pools, probably tended by Fwee. The Shaping circles here are clean and in good repair.



The creations in the far northern chambers are still hostile, though. They have likely gone rogue thanks to Kantre's inattention. The whole complex is full of rubbish and poorly lit on top of that.



You clear out the left hall first. Someone has left place settings out as though the Shapers might gather here at any time. The pitchers and mugs are covered in grime.



Three glaahks stumble over each other in their haste to escape their confinement. While they choke up the narrow cell door, you quickly put them down. They look hungry, and you look like meat.



A mummified corpse lies among potsherds. The body crumbles at your touch.






You head through the gate, setting sun at your back.

Next time: Superfun Superfund

The vote continues! Next time we will clear the Vats, one of my least favorite areas of the game.

Here's an unscientific tally of the vote as it presently stands. Option C has a massive lead any way you slice it.

A. 9
B. 1
C. 23
D. 2