Part 46: Not Burning Bridges Pt. 1

Not Burning Bridges Part 1



Once you acquire the amulet, Trajkov's forces become neutral or allied units. This creates a distinctly different experience in the northeastern island -- you can have conversations with special named NPCs which you would otherwise miss out on. Without the amulet, almost all of the northeastern zones are completely hostile.




Actually, we know why this is happening -- this bridge is very close to the workshop that Corata breached two hundred years ago. The game doesn't have an updated version of this dialogue.



You head west off the beaten track first and find a swampy little patch of ground from which a few thorn bushes sprout. You don't dare allow your creations to drink the water here, not with all the signs of contamination.



Someone -- or several someones -- have heaped garbage up in piles outside this ruin, along with half-rotten lumber and rusted tools.


I don't know if we're expected to take this as not knowing the words used on this sign or if we're suddenly completely illiterate with regards to Sholai written language; the latter would be a continuity error, since you can puzzle out parts of written Sholai found elsewhere in contexts where the writing would be more complex than a sign.



Just past the ruin is the riverbank. You look out over the foaming, putrid water. Scum collects where the current breaks down into eddies and stagnant water. It stinks here. The rogue roamers are a welcome break in scenery.





It's the matter of a quarter hour's work to locate the blue roamers' nests and destroy them, as well as the shepherd vlish leading them.









The outsiders have cleaned up the guardhouse and now squat in it, using it as their own checkpoint. The sight of the consumed canisters briefly infuriates you.



Before you can do anything rash, you decide to investigate the rest of the woods before the bridge. There's even more trash out here -- the Sholai have probably been dumping it away from the guardhouse. The land is already despoiled, so what does more misuse matter?





More rogues patrol here. You wonder if they're descendants of the creations the Shapers abandoned here, or if the Sholai created them.

Finishing the rogues off puts you in a slightly better frame of mind. You'd worry more about the soothing effect violence now has on you if you had the presence of mind to really notice it.



None of the Sholai at the checkpoint stop you or even interfere with you. They've reinforced their position with a number of nasty looking turrets. You touch the Taker amulet around your neck.





You meet a massive Sholai warrior, no doubt the leader of this encampment. When he sees you, he looks very relieved. He walks up and grabs your hand in his.

When he speaks, it is in a rough mix of his language and yours. Surprisingly, he's not hard to understand. "Shaper good! Glad you here finally. I am Ivanov. Bridge watcher. Help you to be moving on."

"Where should I go from here?" you ask, pulling away as soon as you're able.

"North! North to see Trajkov. Not waste time with us. We not important. Follow road to north. Later north road jaunt west and north again. Keep to follow. One day, it take you through woods with mines and traps. Talk to guards before you get there and learn how to pass those traps in safety. In woods, turn east and you go into caves where Trajkov is."

It sounds like the Sholai have used their months here to thoroughly dig in and entrench themselves. You don't like that one bit. "What do I do once I'm there?"

"Look for more Sholai. They direct you more. For now, just keep north, and look for the big mountain entrance," Ivanov replies.

"What sort of forces do you have guarding this bridge?"

"Men. Good strong men, some with the magic. And the big turrets!" He's quite proud of those.

"How did you get these turrets here?" you ask.

"Trajkov make them. He smart and think hard and learn how to make. Drains him very much, so we only get four. No more than that. We protect them well, and they are deadly strong, yes?"

You had not guessed that Trajkov might be so skilled at your arts. Making a new creation is a true accomplishment. Or, perhaps, he just discovered an old Shaper design left behind on Sucia Island.

"What are you guarding the bridge from?"

"Trajkov tell you more about that. and dangers of other Shaper. You find and talk to him. We keep bad Shaper from Trajkov!" Ivanov says. You're inclined to agree with the Sholai about Goettsch, but it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

"What threats are in these woods?" you ask. You've slain a number of roamers and vlish, but they weren't particularly threatening to you. The outsiders here have all obviously used the augmentation canisters, and with the turrets, you don't imagine that the rogues are terribly threatening.

That's a thought, though. Goettsch might have unleashed these creations here. In fact, most of the marauding rogues that have moved south from the wastes can probably be blamed on him.

''You stay on path. ls best. Too many threats for valuable useful Shaper. There are wild creature in woods, not made by us, strange and nasty and smart. Little walking dog things and floating worm things. And floating things heal dog things. Make killing hard. Not worth trouble for you. You move on."

"Is there anything you could pay me for clearing the woods for you?"

"Oh, Shaper, it is kind to make the offer, but I am to make you think of moving on and not risking yourself. Trajkov needs you truly."

You weren't trying to be kind. "Can I have some supplies?"

He thinks. "That hard, because we need the supplies to guard bridge from enemies. But there is box in corner." He points to one of the two boxes in the southeast corner. "It has spore batons. You take those, if want. Using them helps pass some of the traps Trajkov makes. They spit out invisible dust which makes traps go not kill you."

"I need more supplies to be able to reach Trajkov. Will he be happy if I don't make it because you didn't help me?" You raise your eyebrows, but it's not like he can see that through your lowered hood.

Ivanov looks bothered by this possibility. "I do not like that you so weak and baffled that you need help and goods from us. But I trust wisdom of Trajkov is wanting you. Take what you want. I hope it help you help us."

You grin a little at the off-handed insult. "How did you get to this island?"

He laughs. "Oh, it was ugly journey! Months and boat sinks and rotting food. We think we never see the land again. We think we dead Sholai. We never dream of place like this, with food and power and jars which give you magic!"

It would be easy to pity these people if they hadn't wound up here of all places, and if they hadn't decided to violate and steal what your people left behind.

"You've used some of the canisters? Are there any left around here?"

"Yes! I not start this strong. I start out small and weak. Skilled, but no muscle and sick from journey. Now I am mighty and fast, thanks to your kind magic. No canisters now, not anymore. We use as soon as we find. Make us strong to watch bridge."

"I'll be moving on then." You think he breathes a sigh of relief.

Before you go, you investigate the guardhouse a little more. Your creations relax but remain watchful for signs of treachery from these outsiders while you collect the spore batons and look at the tome in the back.


You manage not to check that you still have the control baton that you obtained from South Workshop. The Sholai weren't able to get past mad shade Corata, but you were. Unless they have spies watching the place, there's no reason for them to suspect that you already have the baton.





North of the bridge are still more rogue patrols. You track one group back to their nest and find the remains of an outsider who was recently dismembered and mostly eaten. He had some enchanted Shaper gear. Now it's yours.



Worse than the occasional guardian roamer or shepherd vlish are these carcinogenically pink roamers. They explode at the least damage. It's satisfying to watch them detonate each other rather than your own creations.



The woods are absolutely rotten with rogues and decaying remains. It's time you moved on.





When we reach the central obelisk here, we actually gain the ability to pass this area over entirely. We just couldn't do this earlier without engaging hostile Sholai. One thing to note, though, is that even if you engage a fight, if you get the play character to any map exit and your creations are near enough, you can exit the map even while in battle mode.

North of the bridge is the dell you've snuck through many times. Now that you have the Taker amulet, you boldly walk right up to the first patrol you see.





The Sholai patrols even have battle alphas with them.





In the lee of a crumbled ruin you find a canister tucked just out of sight. When you use it, you almost miss the rush of augmentation for the queer feeling of possessing a forbidden skill -- the power to Shape your own drayks.

The knowledge makes your hands tremble. Temptation beckons. But to craft a drayk would mean absorbing one or more other creations, and that plus the taboo are enough to hold you back.



The Sholai have set up a smithy in this room. This woman is hard at work doing minor repairs, sharpening swords, and so on. She looks surprised to see you here.

She bows and points to herself. "Sofya."

"You are a smith here?" you ask.

"Yes, Shaper. Others worry about fighting and magic. I am humbler. I just keep them having supplies. Trajkov plans are not worries for me," she says.

"What is Trajkov planning?"

She shrugs. "I support him as leader, but I tell him I not work with his strange magic plans. I support. That is all." Trajkov must be surprisingly tolerant.

"Can I trade with you?" you ask. You have a wealth of goods to offload on somoene, and you've already taken the servile traders for all the liquid currency they'll part with.





Solution's build probably can't safely part with 2 endurance.

"I need supplies. Could you give some to me?" you ask after selling her a number of goods you have no use for.

"Our supplies are very important. I need to share them with our people, who have little that they need. But I will trade with you, as I think you might give things which have the value," she says.

"But Trajkov would surely want you to, at least, give me a discount. And he will want to hear about it if you don't. Yes?" This isn't haggling so much as it is extorting.

She looks very uncomfortable. "Yes, of course, Shaper. I can give good deals."

After that, her prices become quite reasonable.





The Sholai leave a trail of used-up canisters wherever they go.



This Sholai mage watches you silently. You ask his name. He says, "Borkin."

Further attempts to communicate with him don't elicit a single word. He watches you in stony silence. Eventually, you give up.

Maybe he suspects you're the one who slew so many Sholai on the winding road.

Nearby is a heavily armored Sholai you suspect is Gayev. He smiles weakly at you. His vision is still slightly glazed over.

"Tell me about your encampment here," you say, eyeing the depleted canister.

He nods proudly. "We guard here. We guard the path north to Trajkov and Geneforge. We let you by."

"What are you guarding against?" you ask. There aren't any rogues this far past the bridge.

"There is a Shaper here called Goettsch. Here on island, I mean. Not here, here. He has agents and evil forces. We must keep him and dangerous serviles south so Trajkov can be not disrupted." Some of his words are hard to understand. Use of the canister has slurred his speech.

You certainly don't look this poleaxed after using a canister. "Did you just use that canister?"

"Oh, yes. We use all we find. They give us powers. Each one I use makes me stronger, more ready to fight. Not like I was."

"What were you like before?"

"We were sailors. Small. And diplomats and explorers. But we use canisters, and Trajkov helps make us mighty. Trajkov divides us into two groups, and use different canisters."

"What groups?" you ask.

"I was in warrior group. We used canisters to make us strong and fast and with muscles. Smaller group was magic group, which turned from sailors to wizards and guide us. Months ago, I was small sailor. Now look at me!"

You frown. "Are there any canisters I might use?"

"Not here," Gayev says. "We use them all." You already found one, so you don't really believe him.

"All of them? Are you sure about that? Trajkov would not want you to deny me anything."

"Oh. Well, well..." He sighs. "I want to use this one, but you are right. To east is small ruin. Was saving one canister, hidden behind pillar. You can find it by smithy."

"Hm." That was the canister that gave you the power to shape drayks. At least this outsider has been denied that much. It also puts the lie to his claim that the canisters were divided up by type of augmentation. Or perhaps some of the Sholai are using the other group's canisters without checking in with Trajkov. "Where should I go from here?"

"Trajkov guides you best. Go west, then up road to north. Follow signs you Shapers leave. They lead you to research center."

"Thank you," you say, and leave him to his dazed regrets.