Part 13: The Tower of Eleh

Soundtrack - Forbidden



Flece has arrived at Eleh. This is a really fun section (If you enjoy stealth, and stealth kills.)



Flece has some new duds for this as well.



Not bad, but until late game, the whole body armor items are always a bit less defense than torso and leg armor combined.



This is about 50% of what this section entails.



This is the other 50%.



There are about 3 of these types of enemies in the sea of soldiers and officers.



Don't worry, you'll be leaving soon, once every guard and soldier here is dead. So about 15 minutes.





Should make a flipbook.



This is the entrance at the ground level. I decide not to go in just yet.



Flece can't leave as well.



Here we are stabbing someone a bit higher up on the scaffolds.



There is Murod's ugly mug above the ground entrance.



So I force him to watch me stab a soldier.



Near the top there is a tunnel. Sadly can't sneak up on this guy so just have to do the trip dance.



Punish you?

Yiyin: Our situation is grim, stranger. The slavers have abandoned us here. We will die of thirst if we cannot escape. Please find the key! There's an overseer who carries it on his belt.



Stabbing someone at another vantage point of Murod's face.



That's some hat. I'm sure the slaves that had to make it really appreciated him insiting the hat be built as well.



This is the current 'Top' of Eleh. Still very much a WIP.




We find the overseer walking above the pit, constantly berating them. They must be how they spotted the keys, and his nads.



There is a little shack here though, wonder what is inside.



No door. Just something lying out in plain sight.



Oh man, somebody is losing their clearance after this!



We return with the overseer's key.





They seem pretty tough, these slaves.



Sounds like Murod has total domination within his grasp now, maybe Joseph can hand it to him?



Do you have the earring the rat catcher gave you?

Chengdai: You mean Humbus? From Lenele? Before I was captured, I gave it to my brother Likai, a soldier of the Jade Temple. You might find him in Wolong.

How were you captured?

Chengdai: Imperial soldiers came to my village and forced all able-bodied men and women to march to the tower. Fortunately, my brother had already left for Wolong.

Unfortunately, the earring had already bestowed enough anti-luck on me to get me enslaved and thrown into the pit as a death sentence!



You have something?

Xueli: The scale of a dragon. It belonged to Gaodi II, the last true Emperor of Orenia.

Where did you get this?

Xueli: A man named Naxue gave it to me. He was an official in the court of Gaodi II. When Murod seized the throne, Naxue was sent to Eleh. He brought this dragon's scale here with him.

Naxue was sent to Eleh?

Xueli: Before he died, he gave me the scale. He said that I should give it to the child the Jade Temple's prophecy.

That skelton must be Naxue. Thank mr naxue.

Where are the other three?

Xueli: I do not know. They belonged to the last true Emperor. His supporters may have hidden them. The scales have been passed down from Emperor to Emperor ever since the battle of nine sparrows, when the kingdoms of Orenia became one. I am hopeful you will find the other dragon scales.



The scales themselves can be worn on the neck.



Inside on the upper level we find more soon-to-be corpses.



We find a cool model of the finished product.



And some dork admiring it.



Where is Joseph?

Slave foreman: You seek the One-hand of the prophecy? In the bowels of the tower you'll find him. The Emperor keeps him under heavy guard. Where's your army, girl?

I need no army.

Slave foreman: Then you won't leave Eleh alive. A thousand soldiers guard this tower. A thousand more patrol the moutain pass.

A thousand corpses then.

Give me the key to his cell!

Slave foreman: I don't have it, nor will you ever find it! If you surrender, I will spare your life. I will show you mercy. Better to live a slave than die a painful death.

You might rethink that when Murod finds out you left the key to that cell on your desk in the office that doesn't even have a door! In fact, why doesn't Murod have that key on a chain around his neck?



At the center is an elevator run by another golem.



There are only 3 areas of the tower we can go to, the Upper, Lower, and Ground levels.



We head down to the Lower to find Joseph.



Find a nice piece of armor for Flece.



Stab some people. It's all good.



We finally locate Joseph. Time for some apologies. Note the stump arm.



I'm sorry I betrayed you, Joseph.

Who sent you this time? Does Yago need my other hand?

They found Yago wandering the streets of Lenele, mad and raving. He couldn't remember his name, and he nothing about the demons. Then Yago vanished, and I don't know where he is.

And the demons?

When Rosalind and I sailed from Medeva, the demons had already destroyed Lenele. The Duke of Tarhimun fought to retake the capital, but his knights perished at the walls of the city.

Looking good, Joseph. We just need confirmation on the countryside and this civilization will be fully destroyed!

Medeva:
Ciran - Destroyed
Masad - Destroyed
Eglin - Destroyed
Burnaan - Destroyed
Nahm - Destroyed
Lenele - Destroyed

Iona - Active
Saanavarh - Active

*Joseph buries his face in his hands.* This was our doing, Flece. We unleashed the demons. You should have told me about Yago.

If I had known he was possessed by a demon, do you think I would have let you enter the temple? Yago promised he wouldn't hurt you. He only wanted...

The rings, yes, he only wanted the rings! *Joseph shouts, losing his temper.* But you were willing to steal them from me! After all we went through: the catacombs, Ikaemos, the Ordeal! What happened to all your gold?

I would have given you half, *Flece protests.* I had my debts to pay, and you wanted nothing to do with your prophecy! Or have you forgotten that already? Besides, I gave it away to Mahri the crooked. She needed the money.

Half the gold is fitting what with only having half his hands.

A guilty conscience? That must be something new for you, *Joseph says glumly.* How long have I been here?

You've been here three months.

Three months? Feels like three hundred years.

Why didn't the Emperor kill you?

When I die, a new Summoner will be born, so Murod wants me alive for as long as possible. Don't think I haven't considered ruining his peace of mind. What happpened to Jekhar and Rosalind?

Jekhar still hates you for what happened in Ciran. He remained on Iona to protect Galienne. His first duty was to the Queen, he said.

*Joseph stares silently at the floor of his cell.*

Rosalind is waiting for us in Wolong, it's a village south of here on the Lake of Sorrows. The Gatherers live there.

The Gatherers? Who are they?

The Gatherers are healers, and they might help you restore your power. Rosalind went to find them. Wolong is also a stronghold of the Jade Temple.

The Society of the Jade Temple? Aren't they the ones who killed Tancred?

Their leader Aoqi is the one who poisoned him. She's the orenian woman I saw in the palace, the woman in white. What happened to Tancred is between me and Aoqi, but the Jade Temple can help you fight Murod.

So what do we do now?

You can help us fight Murod and the demons, or you can sit here and wait for death.



And so, Joseph continued on his journey spreading misfortune and devastation.



And we got some sweet new gear for him.



Nothing stellar, but it looks cool, and that's what really matters.



And it let's us prominently display the stump.



We make our way to the ground floor, so we can walk right out the exit.



Who are you?

Jinghui: My name is Jinghui. I am a slave, forced to work on the Tower of Eleh.

Tower of Eleh?

Jinghui: You must know the story of Eleh, how the gods built a tower and conquered the cities of heaven? That tower stood here, in the mountains of Orenia.

Why rebuild the tower?

Jinghui: Murod believes he is a god and the heir of heaven's throne. He dreams of ruling creation as he now rules over Orenia. Yet we have a long way to go. The first tower was built by gods. We are frail and hungry mortals. If Murod thinks he's a god, what's another twenty years? or two hundred? Or two thousand?

A slave?

Jinghui: Bandits raided my village and kidnapped me. I was sold in the market of the City of Twilight. The Emperor's slavers forced us to march to Eleh. I was fortunate to survive the journey. That is why I do not despair, when so many have given up. I live for those who have died. Though the One-hand endures a living death, I still dream of freedom.

*Waves stump around* Literally talking to you.

Those who have died?

Jinghui: The crimes of Murod are too horrible to name. Even now, some slaves are trapped in a pit at the top of the tower. They will die of exposure if they are not saved.

I won't tell.

Jinghui: Thank you, stranger. You are kind to me. You are not one of the slavers are you? Where have you come from? Why are you here?

I kind of sequence broke this convo.

I am looking for the Summoner.

Jinghui: The One-hand of the prophecy? They locked him in a cell below the tower, and the people of Orenia have lost all hope.

People have lost all hope?

Is it because Joseph is now on their continent?

Jinghui: Even Aoqi and the warriors of the Jade Temple are losing their fight against the Emperor. Murod's generals have captured the stronghold of Lord Shangao. I've heard rumor that General Pijian has returned from Medeva and leads the attack against Aoqi's rebellion. We fear the Society of the Jade Temple will soon be crushed.

Prophecy?

The one that states the forge won't melt my hand?

Jinghui: The priests of the Jade Temple said the Summoner would destroy Murod. But now the One-hand has lost his rings, his power, and his freedom.

I guess the whole One-hand name implies he lost that as well. Or maybe they think he always had one hand?



If old One-hand can escape, so can you!



Here is the exit, we're almost there.



Unfortunately this ass sounds the alarm even though Flece was sneaking!



This gets the gate shut on us, with no way to open it.



He gets his just rewards. And we get a long walk back to the upper level and down all the scaffolding again!



But, Joseph makes it out and is unleashed upon the world once more.