Part 23: Our Share of Miseries

Our Share of Miseries





The flatlands are crusted over with bleached bones and foul salts. A dreadful wind whips the dust up into your teeth, your nostrils, your eyes, and everywhere it touches, the dust burns. Thanks to that wind, the flats are obscured by a restless haze that hides rocks and rogues alike until you stumble over them.

Still, a lone bug is just a bug. Though it stings Like Clockwork, your creations manage to tear the rogue apart.

The wind gentles for a moment, like some great spirit is about to inhale. In the caesura, you're able to get a better look at the landscape before you.




We've achieved 10 intelligence points! As far as I'm aware, there are actually no diminishing returns for the 4 main ability scores (intelligence, strength, dexterity, endurance), but we'll hold off on improving intelligence further for a couple levels in favor of concentrating on our other skills.

In Geneforge 1, skills have two diminishing returns soft caps. The first is at 10 points. After that, you only get a bonus for each two points after that, up to 20. After 20, you only get a bonus for every 3 points, up to the hard cap of 30. However, the cost of leveling up a skill never rises, so the growth curve isn't that steep.



You head west along the valley wall. The wind overwhelms not just sight, but also hearing, and so while you read this worn obelisk, you're caught off-guard by another stalking bug. It scuttles into your team's midst, which turns out to be a mortal error. Your creations unleash their pent-up frustrations on the plated bug, and placid saviour half-melts its head.

The obelisk reads, "DRY WASTES. Beware hostile spirits."

You wonder if these spirits have anything to do with the awful condition of the northern half of the island and, in fact, the spreading poison eating away at the lands Kazg... Perhaps this is one thing the Shapers aren't to blame for.



A tunnel through the northern cliff catches your eye as you wander. It's very likely a clawbug tunnel. The bugs here are tougher than the others you've encountered, and somehow more cunning. They shouldn't have been left to breed. It would have been better to absorb them than leave them to their own devices.



A bug emerges from the tunnel just as you decide to head in. Once again, Like Clockwork suffers the brunt of the attack, but its fellow creations finish the bug off quickly.





As suspected, the clawbugs have built a warren here, and they're ready to defend it to the death. You advance cautiously and eliminate one guard before happening upon the first nests. As you set about crushing the eggs inside, a violently teal bug emerges.

At first you think it's a queen, which is a horrifying idea, but the teal clawbug isn't big enough to be a female. Its overdeveloped stinger gives you a hint before it strikes Like Clockwork. Your poor creation wails, but you're able to cure it. As the stinging clawbug collapses, a second appears from around the corner, too late to support its sibling but not too late to trouble you. Once again, you neutralize the venom it injects into your creations as they in turn take the rogue apart.



By the time you clear the warren, you've destroyed three of the stinging clawbugs and a few of their guards. The clawbugs have dragged some rubbish back here -- a floor crystal that no longer works, some pods, low-quality gems, and even a used canister.





There's another tunnel in the cliffside here. Just your accursed luck: the tunnel mouth is guarded by a pylon, and there's no easy way to approach it without exposing all of your creations to its searing orbs.



Worse, the pylons don't seem to acknowledge the clawbugs scuttling around in the shadows of the tunnels. You can't account for why that should be. If a real Shaper and her creations are marked for destruction by the pylons, why shouldn't rogue clawbugs be the same?



Your hastened creations make short work of the pylons and you move in out of the wind. There are more platforms in this initial room, so there likely were more pylons here... They're long gone, which you don't regret in the slightest.



Clawbugs have carved another tunnel out behind the pylon chamber. Whatever this place's original purpose, it's been obscured by time and rogues.

The warrens have an unsettlingly organic shape, almost like a section of some awful, chthonic beast's bowel. You take the clawbug eradication chamber by chamber, imagining the tighter strictures as sphincters. The image would make you laugh if you weren't too busy keeping your creations from being poisoned to death.



At least your exploration is rewarded. You find another intact canister, and this one greatly improves your ability with the pylon's own favored magic -- the searing orbs. It's almost a pity that you don't rely on battle magic.



More clawbugs have appeared nearby, perhaps sensing your presence.



The hunting clawbugs are nothing if not persistent. They race in to deny your creations the advantage of range. In such close quarters, your team's defensive shortcomings are all too obvious.





A good offense remains the best defense. Bit by bit, you cut a bloody swathe through the clawbugs in this forsaken valley, leaving cadavers for their siblings and cousins to consume when you've gone.





Not even a Shaper can endure a battle like this forever, though. Soon, your essence is depleted from healing, blessing, and healing again. The dry wastes are littered with blood and bodies and bones -- it's time to leave before yours join them.



Back in the refugee caves, you meet with Masha. "Can we still deal, Shaper?" she asks you.

"I've recovered the key." You pull it from your pocket and show her. Some soot rubs off on your hand. You rub it off on the front of your robe, leaving a greasy smear of Anfisa behind.

If the significance of that stain occurs to her, the outsider doesn't show it. "Wonderful! Yes! You do us much good! Open the chest! We will all profit! But first, I can give you little instruction in our tongue. Then you can profit from inside things too. Now we know you help us, we also tell you more. We let you know more of what happens and who can help you."

"Please, teach me some of your language." Crossing your arms is stand-offish, but it does hide the stain.

"Gladly, Shaper. My knowledge weak and my skills soft, but I tell you what I can of things," Masha says.

She spends several hours teaching you what she knows. Her tongue is surprisingly similar to yours. You learn a fair amount of syntax and numerous verbs and nouns. You are nowhere near fluent, but will be able to manage some crude communication.

"There, Shaper. We help each other now. I hope this was of use."

The chairs back here are a little too short and straight-backed for comfort, but at least you and Masha are a little easier with one another. You think you've built some rapport with the outsiders. "Thank you. Now that I've brought back the key, tell me more of what is happening here."

"All right. We come back here in tunnels. We move west, only to find horrible surprise. Trajkov? He deal with stunted people to west." Stunted people... yes, with their slight bodies and hunched posture, that must be how serviles appear to outsiders. "These serviles, they called Takers. He deal with them. He get them to try to block us in and kill us. We want to explore island, but we trapped here. We get some of us out to explore. I go with them and return. There are more of us on Sucia, but hidden."

"I would like to meet them. Where are they?" you ask.

Masha nods. "I go with them when they sneak out. I help them find place. I come back here. They are in cave north of village serviles call Pentil. Look hard in peaceful valley of trees." Thinking back, you did meet an odd, lone servile not too far north of Pentil. She had kept you from entering a Shaper facility... "The leader name is Astrov. Find him and talk to him. And let me know how he is doing, please, if you can. He make efforts against Trajkov. He can help you do same, if you want." Masha hands you a letter. It is written in their language. "Present to Astrov. He helps you. This tells him you from me."



You put the letter in the breast pocket of your robe, where it should be safe enough from theft and weather. Well, safe as long as you avoid future stabbings. You rub your neck. "What about boats?"

"We tell you that we have one heat left, small boat, at dock to northeast, small dock. Our last boat, since madness of Trajkov destroy all of rest," she says.



Hearing about a boat, a real boat, not a mere rumor, is so unexpected that you have to bite your lip to not embarrass yourself. But can you really leave here with Trajkov running free, looking to empower himself at your people's expense?

But how can you be expected to deal with him alone, or even with the aid of only one other Shaper, who may not even still live? You haven't found the other Shaper yet...

You thank Masha and decide it's past time to unlock the sea chest.


Anfisa's plans didn't end well for her or her followers. You look at the outsiders gathered in these small, cramped caverns, stuck in the damp and cold, with no way to know whether they'll die on this foreign shore or if they'll be able to complete their mission and return home. It's not so different from your own lot.



On your way out, you pause to speak with the outsider wizard you met your first time here, Solyony.

Solyony watches you nervously. He still seems to think that you might attack him at any moment. And, considering that these outsiders are in land forbidden to them, it is tempting.

"Greetings to you," you say in the Sholai tongue. It still feels awkward, but the outsider's eyes light up.

Solyony smiles and begins to talk. You understand most of the words, although he talks too fast to get all of it. "Ah, you speak my (garble). I am very (garble) to meet you and know you come in peace. I (garble) that you don't kill us."

"What are you doing here?" You speak slowly in hopes that Solyony will take the hint and speak more clearly. The way his words all run together frustrates your simple grasp on the Sholai language.

"I am (garble) our lair against the evil (garble) outside who come to murder us. I know magic, and can shoot (garble) from my (garble) and cover the enemy with (garble)," he says. He seems proud of whatever it is he can cover enemies with. You're sure it's very unpleasant, whatever it is.

"What is in that sack?" you ask.

"Goods. When we flee Trajkov, I (garble) what I could. We hope to trade with serviles and (garble), but you understand, I am sure. We (garble) (garble) when we (garble). Right?" He laughs.

"Oh, I am sorry." He looks nervous again. "It is simple. Old Sholai (garble). We (garble) (garble), when we (garble), unless we have (garble) our (garble)." Seeing your lack of comprehension, he forces out a weak little laugh. "I am (garble) this up, am I not?"

Yes, Solyony is definitely garbling it up, you agree wholeheartedly on that point. "I would trade with you," you try, though the request is more out of a sense of desperation to make some mutually intelligible ground than from real need.



Solyony is rich as hell! Too bad he won't actually drop all this sweet ass money and junk if you kill him.

With the chest opened and the contents back in the Sholai's hands, you take off back to Kazg. You've got some decisions to make about what to do from here on out. If there is another set of docks on the eastern coast of the island, you must see for yourself whether there's a boat or not.

But you also need to find this Goettsch. You don't want to abandon him here. You owe your superior your loyalty. Your duty is clear -- if Goettsch lives, you must find him and report.

Clearly the Takers won't be interested in helping you with that. Not unless you convince them that you will kill him. Given that you haven't killed the rebels like Eko Blade asked, you aren't sure you'll be able to convince them that you're willing to murder one of your own.

If you're even capable of it. You suspect you're about one hundred years too early to measure up to a veteran Shaper. You shake yourself. This isn't even something you should be contemplating.





Since we've already gotten Kazg as a friendly settlement, Kazg Ruins becomes freely crossable as soon as we step in. But even though we don't need to check this place out, it's advantageous to do so for a few reasons, as you'll soon see.

After resting in Kazg, you head out of the south gate to see the lay of the land. You're surprised to see a sprawling complex of ruins -- the south side of the fortress was well-developed at one time and clearly housed a large population of Shapers and support staff. Compared to Vakkiri and Pentil, this settlement was huge.

You meet one of Kazg's guards. He watches the gate into the settled part of the city. He looks like he doesn't trust you a bit, but, for some reason, he approaches to speak with you.

"I am Rosen, of Takers. Shaper, by rights, you should be slain for entering our lands. But order has been given. You can enter and talk without being slain. Word has gone round. You attacked no more. But watch yourself. One wrong thing, and you die."

You're used to the Takers' rough manner by now. You're still not sure how much of that is bluster and how much is genuine, but the threats don't faze you now. "Why have you received orders to let me pass?"

"The orders are from Gnorrel herself, leader of Takers. I not question her or her plans or her strength. I just do what she say. She say you pass. You pass," Rosen says. Like many of the other guards, he's as obedient to Gnorrel as ordinary serviles are to Shapers.

"Tell me more about the Takers," you say.

"We are opposed to your kind. We make you pay for what you have done to us. You go north. You learn more from Gnorrel. I no want to talk to you." Rosen watches you carefully. His hand stays near his weapon. It almost seems like he's looking for an excuse to attack you, even though you would certainly destroy him.

You shrug. It's rude, but what's a little rudeness between existential foes? "Have it your way."



As you pass the watch fire, you notice that one of the Shaper statues still stands. Its face has been gouged out and its arms were lopped off at the elbows. Someone or several someones have even gone through the trouble of chipping away the toes.





Thanks to the tangle of dead trees and collapsed walls, the ruins are a maze. As you get your bearings, you stumble through not just one but two patrols of Takers and tamed fyoras. These fyoras have strangely muted coloration, but their scales shimmer in the light so that sometimes they suddenly flash.

They hiss when you pass, but they don't attack.



A small building attached to Kazg's south wall still appears occupied. You step inside and meet a servile merchant. His clothes aren't torn, and he doesn't seem to hate you. He does, however, look dangerously thin.

"Welcome, Shaper," he says. "I am Arth. I can't talk to you for long." His gaze doesn't rest on you or the floor as he speaks. He's looking past you, watching the road... for Takers.

"What do you do here?"

"I was a merchant, once. I carried goods among the three towns. Then things got terrible, and I had to stop," Arth replies.

"What happened?" you ask. You expect the usual tale -- rogues, mined bridges, and so on.

"The wars, and the strife, and the Takers started to go mad. And all the rogues arrived and it was impossible to travel... and... I should not say more." He ducks his head, shrinking inside his robes. The Takers have gone mad. You wonder if that coincided with Trajkov's diplomatic overtures.

"Well, Coale in Vakkiri wants to know if it is possible to trade with you again."

"Tell him that it is impossible. Even if the roads were clear, trading with the Awakened would result in my speedy death at the hands of the Takers."

You glance over your shoulder. You haven't heard any patrols approach and you don't see any coming, but just to be sure, you spread your creations out in the street. "Are you a Taker?" you ask quietly.

He looks around. "Of course! How could I not be a Taker! It is the wisest path, the only possible path, and the Takers are just to visit swift punishment on all who question them." At least the last part seems to be the truth.

"Tell me more of their philosophy."

"I can't. I... I am not wise enough. Enter the main town. Talk to Gnorrel. Her wisdom is complete. I cannot talk to you more. I am sorry. Goodbye," he stutters.

"I'm sorry for troubling you. Before I go, can we trade?" you ask, regretting that you pushed Arth into a panic.

Fortunately, his merchant instincts remain strong and he agrees to show you his wares before you go.





You check the other side of the shop building. Dread builds as you turn the corner. The smell of death lingers here. You see why as you reach the open entrance.

The obelisk names this dead mind "Control Two."


The Takers have as little love for servant minds as the Awakened. It's pure folly that the two sects can't cooperate.

There's nothing you can do for this servant mind now. Even death's dignity has been stolen from it. You check the cabinet nearby, but it's long empty. With a pang in your heart, you leave.



These nests make you wonder about the Takers' tamed fyoras. Did they see the Obeyers using them and decide to try to reproduce Learned Jaffee's results? Or did someone share that information with the Takers?

Or perhaps all these fyoras were made by Trajkov and his ilk and ordered to obey the Takers... Then not only are the Takers vulnerable to Trajkov, but they also only care about their own free will, and not that of any other creation.



These ruins once represented the peak of urbanization on Sucia Island. Now they're just sad wreckage littered with rotted furniture centuries out of fashion.



You think this busted crystal spiral powered this dead essence pool. All the delicate connections have dried up and blown away, depriving you of the chance to even merely study it.



An unattended nest is tucked away back here in the lee of a wall. Maybe its original occupant was chased out by the patrols.



You find a locked lever in one of the ruins. A little cajoling with a living tool and the application of your unlock charm are enough to tease the door open. Inside you find an array of tools, pouches, and weapons that the Takers haven't been able to loot. The nicest find by far is a steel sword, still sharp and true.



This is the first steel sword of the playthrough, I believe, and obviously it's a great weapon for a Guardian. It's a solid step up from the iron sword. Depending on your route, you probably won't encounter a better melee weapon than this for quite a while.

Arth eagerly hands over a generous sum of gold for the sword. A weapon that fine should earn him a fair share of food.





You stumble through a patrol as you pass their improvised living quarters. They part grudgingly for you and your creations and they spit in your wake. Your grip on the discipline wand tightens. Such a slight shouldn't go unpunished.

But starting a fight out here would be a slaughter -- either of your creations or of these misguided Takers. You're confident it would be them.



Piled up sacks of meal sit here, waiting for pests or theft to do them in.





The battle alpha's warcry catches you off balance. You've been watching your back for murderous serviles, not alphas. But your creations know the routine by now. The artilas soften the rogue alpha's defenses with their acid, and the fyoras and Like Clockwork finish it off at range before it can get too close.



You're surprised to find that it was guarding a small scroll repository. More importantly, someone stashed a canister back here, likely intending to return for it once the island was unbarred.

The canister improves your understanding of clawbug physiology. You won't repeat your mistakes with Zeniel a second time.





You unlock another old door and once again are rewarded with an intact canister. It improves your command over the searing orbs spell. Not bad at all.







It's a shame the old essence pool was destroyed. This kind of vandalism only hurts the Takers, too. There are few enough safe places around Kazg that ruining one more out of spite is just foolishness.

Your musing is interrupted by electric crackling from the doorway. Two of those strange fyoras stand just out of reach of your spells. Your artilas slither forward and take on the first and most visible charged fyora. It barely seems scathed by their attacks, or by your fyoras' flames.

But the rogues' power doesn't match their hardiness. They manage to wound Like Clockwork and idhrendur, but both creations take several fireballs without suffering acute trauma. You cast a war blessing on your team and soon they've finished off the charged rogues.



No serviles pop out from around the corner when you leave. You sneak north and try to determine if and how you've managed to offend the Takers. Maybe they're angry about the battle alpha, or about the locked rooms they clearly never got into.





You wish you could have seen Kazg as it was when Sucia Island was properly inhabited. You face a double row of brown spore mines and detonate them with the matching baton. Hidden just out of sight is a locked lever; once pulled, the automatic door thuds open behind you. Only the locking mechanism was keeping it shut.



Yet somehow there's another battle alpha here. Though you're puzzled, you order your creations forward to take out the rogue before it can hurt you or damage the canister.

Especially the canister.

The battle alpha falls to the combined acids of the artilas and Like Clockwork, leaving the canister to you. Did someone set these alphas as guards? You know the Taker guards won't say even if they know.

The canister empowers your unlocking charm, leaving you giddy with the power to infiltrate and liberate even more effectively than before. One day, you won't even need living tools to help you. You laugh to yourself. Your creations don't understand why you're so happy, but they are as responsive as ever to your moods. You've already forgotten your concerns about the Taker patrols.





You pass by another patrol as you depart. They don't seem to notice how much loot you've hidden under your robes. You don't feel any guilt -- your people made these goods and you managed to retrieve them, not the Takers. They don't even acknowledge you as you pass by.



The Awakened serviles of Vakkiri greet you when you arrive. It's nice to be welcome somewhere, even if only provisionally. At least you don't feel the need to be quite as guarded here. The Awakened might want more from you than you're willing to give, but they haven't proven themselves to be nearly as murderous as their rival sects, nor as deceitful.

That is why they're so much weaker than the Obeyers and the Takers.



Coale greets you as soon as you step across the threshold.

"I met Arth," you tell him. "The serviles in Kazg are very hostile. He says that it's not safe to trade with you. The merchants of Kazg have been barred from trading with the Awakened and the Obeyers."

He sighs. "Understood. I am not surprised. Still, I appreciate the knowledge. Here is a reward for you. We Awakened believe in giving fair payment for assistance." He hands you a pair of pouches. "Genuine Shaper artifacts. Not much, at this point, but it helps a little."

After a little trading, you head back towards Pentil, intent on finding the rebel Sholai outpost to its north.



We didn't get any experience for completing that quest, which is disappointing. We're too high level! I'm not sure what level range Vogel expected players to be when they finally met Arth, but evidently level 14 is too high.

Solution did level up from euthanizing the shit out of the ruins' rogue population, so I pumped up her shaping skills.

Next Time: Let's Get Political

For the triple cross, we start with the Obeyers. We'll see if I fumbled faction management or not once it's time to betray them. We finished up the Kazg Ruins because once we ally with the Obeyers, the Takers will probably turn hostile, and it's easier to clear that area without turning the couple dozen NPCs there red.