Part 19: Get your ass to Medeva

Soundtrack - Jade Temple



Emperor Murod has been defeated and the prophecy fulfilled, but our journey does not end here.



I was a fool, Joseph. That is why the Abbot send me on this journey. A monk of the Order of Iona has no need for vengeance and hatred.

What should we do now?

We must return to Medeva. I am worried about the monastary, and I must find my father.

Worried about the monastary?

The monks of Iona are powerful, but even they cannot hold back the demons forever. Unlike Murod, the demons are immortal.

Immortal?

We must speak to the Ulsadana of the Khosani. With the Rings destroyed in the Forge of Urath, they are the only ones who can help us.

The Khosani?

The Khosani say they've forgotten much of their ancestor's lore. I hope they remember how to make the Rings and that Saanavarh has been spared.

Saanavarh has been spared?

It will take more than a few demons to rid the world of the Khosani. They survived the flood of Amasido. They are fierce warriors, and their magic is woven into the stones themselves.

The Rings?

Rhukha captured the demons by fighting them. A weakened demon cannot resist the lure of the Rings. If the Khosani can make the Rings, we must fight the demons.

And after we fight the demons?

If we triumph, I will return to Iona and swear the oath of our order. Even if the monastary no longer stands, I will rebuild it, stone by stone. I am bound to that island. You have your destiny, and I have mine.



They called me 'rogue' and 'guttersnipe' in the old city, but now I'm the daughter of an Empress!

What should we do now, your highness?

You mean 'your majesty' *Flece grins.* You forget that I'm Bellias's rightful heir. We must go back to Medeva. The demons must be stopped.

How will we stop the demons?

We'll need the Rings of Light, Darkness, Fire, and Stone. Perhaps the Khosani can help us.

How can the Khosani help us?

If they made the original Rings, they might know how to make new ones. But we'll have to be careful. We may be in danger if we return to Saanavarh.

In danger?

You destroyed the Rings and freed the demons. If the Khosani think you betrayed them, they will kill you.

How will we get to Medeva?

I don't know, the journey across the Khadim is long and dangerous. We must find another way. Now that Murod is dead, nothing will stop the demons from attacking Orenia. If we don't hurry, we might have nothing left to fight for. Let's ask Qifeng is she knows a way.



They could ride horses, and I could not, on account of my common birth. But even when we practiced combat with wooden swords, I made them feel my anger.

We were friends then.

You saved the lord's favorite hound once. He had fallen into a poacher's snare. And from that day forth, I called you friend. To think the day would come when I would fear you!

Because of Yago.

When he came to Ciran things changed. Filthy and ragged in his tattered robes, with a half-wild look in his eyes, he taught you about your 'gift' as he called it.

Then the soldiers came.

Yes. I forget now the reason why. A private war between duke and earl perhaps. Or a marauder's raid. The swept through the fields. Ciran had no walls to hold them back.

So we fought for our lives.

But they outnumbered us ten to one! There was nothing we could do. Then the demon came, and I watched all that I loved vanish in the flames.

And so you hated me.

I hated you because you were all I had left to hate.

And now?

And now? All of Medeva is now a wasteland. I have learned that unless I surrender the past there will be no future. We have work to do, Joseph.



At last! We finally get to receive some praise! And no surprise demons or armies!










Feels good.



Gongji: Indeed? What have you found?

Give him the four dragon scales.

Gongji: You are a hero among heroes. These scales have been passed down ever since the reign of the first Emperor. They are artifacts of great significance to the crown. We reward your triumph.



Qifeng: Return to Medeva. Though you have freed the slaves of Orenia, Medeva remains in the grip of the Nhuvasarim. The demons have ravaged the kingdom and now they threaten Orenia.

Threaten Orenia?

Qifeng: Murod was an ally to the demons. As long as he lived, they would leave Orenia unharmed. But now you are all that stands between the future of our empire and its destruction.

Will you come with us?

Qifeng: My people need me here, Joseph. Murod's generals will attempt to seize power now that he is gone. The Jade Temple must remain strong. We will hold the empire together for the good of its people.

How will we stop the demons?

Qifeng: Go to Saanavarh. The Khosani possess the knowledge of the rings. They will be angry with you, but do not forget that you are the Sahugani.

How will we get to Saanavarh?

Qifeng: I know a way. Are you prepared to leave now?

Yes, we will leave now.

Qifeng: Use the Ring of the Four Winds. The dragon of the Ring will carry you to Saanavarh. And when you return, I will give my crown to Sihua. I fought this rebellion for her, and I will live to see her wear my father's crown. Good luck, Joseph.

Back to Medeva



Though Murod's reign had ended, and all Orenia rejoiced, the Summoner's quest was far from over.



Medeva lay in ruin. The survivors of the demons onslaught huddled among the blackened hollows of their villages, starving and terrified.



Only the Rings of the Khosani could stop the demons now. But, these Rings had been destroyed in the Forge of Urath.



And so, the Summoner journeyed back to Saanavarh, the mountain of the wise. For if the Khosani could forge the Rings anew, Medeva might find its redemption.

Soundtrack - Khosani Stronghold



I was deceived by the Demon of Darkness.

Guardian of the Stone Portal: *Nods solemnly.* Yes. The demons have a powerful influence on the minds of mortals, even those of virtue and strength.

A powerful influence?

Guardian of the Stone Portal: Pyrul, the Demon of Fire, now lies trapped in the labyrinth. One by one, the demon corrupts our people, turning us against each other. Even the Khosani cannot resist.

The demon lies trapped?

Guardian of the Stone Portal: The demon came to raise an army of salamanka from the fires below Saanavarh. With their magic, the Ulsadana and the elders sealed the demon in the labyrinth. Alas, the seals are weakening, and the demon's power over the Khosani reaches beyond his prison. Those corrupted by the demon are now trapped in the labyrinth with their master.

What can we do?

Guardian of the Stone Portal: You must speak to the Ulsadana. Go to the council chamber, Sahugani.

Before that, let's go check out how the Khosani are doing. I'm sure they'll be impressed when they hear we have all four Dragon Rings!












Damn, I want to go back to Orenia!



There are a couple vendors that will still deal with us though, so we upgrade Joseph's armor.



This is the blade we received from the dragon scales quest. Not bad, but seriously the debasser is too damn good.



This drops from Murod's human form. Of course a nerd like him would have 100 fold hanzo steel.



Time to get chewed out by our manager.



*The council listens as you explain how Machival tricked you. You tell them how you escaped the Tower of Eleh, defeated Emperor Murod, and reclaimed the Four Dragon Rings.*

Ulsadana: How strange! All these centuries have passed and the Khosani never learned the fate of Rhukha or these Rings.

Never learned the fate?

Ulsadana: After he vanquished the demons, Rhukha disappeared. No word ever came to Saanavarh of his triumph or his defeat.

We are pretty sure he fell into a pit filled with punji sticks.

Tell me about the four dragons.

Ulsadana: You must now learn the origin of your power, Sahugani. Your people lost this knowledge long ago.

The origin of my power?

Ulsadana: Laharah destroyed Urath at the end of the Third Araenugeth. She failed, however, to destroy him entirely. The one god shattered into nine beings: four demons, four dragons, and one Sahugani.

Remember the history lessons and mosaics from the Temple of Urath in Lenele?



This knowledge may have been lost, but it was sitting in front of them the whole time.

The one god shattered?

Ulsadana: When Urath died, the dragons and demons warred against each other in the Chaos of Ten Thousand Years. Had Rhukha not captured the four demons, their battle would have destroyed all creation.

What are the demons?

Ulsadana: The demons are the essence of Urath the Destroyer, the Usurper of the Throne of Heaven, the warrior whose sword split the world in half.

What are the dragons?

Ulsadana: The dragons are the essence of Urath the Creator, the Father of the Sudani, Builder of the City of Gods, the Second Emperor of Heaven.

What is the Sahugani?

Ulsadana: The Sahugani is the essence of the Sudani, the people Urath made in his image. This is why you and you alone have power over the demons and dragons. This is why the one born under the mark can weild the Rings. You are a part of the shattered god.

Can you make the Rings anew?

Ulsadana: Yes, the Khosani can make them, but Rings alone will not suffice. We must enchant the Rings with the words of Vadagar, or they will have no power over the demons.

The words of Vadagar?

Ulsadana: The divine wordsw written on the scrolls and tablets Vadagar gave the Khosani. These words are no longer in our possession.

No longer in you possession?

Ulsadana: The knights of Iona stole them from us, many winters ago. If we are to make the Rings, you must go to Iona, island of thieves, and return our sacred texts to us. Upon your return, the four Rings shall be ready, and with the divine words, we will enchant them. The, Sahugani, you know what must be done.

I must capture the demons?

Ulsadana: Yes. We have sealed the Demon of Fire in the labyrinth, but our magic grows weaker as the demon gathers strength. You must hurry, Sahugani, or we will be destroyed in the dawning of the second chaos.



Well let's get on our way to Iona.



The magic monk men of madness should be holding out pretty well.

Soundtrack - Iona Monastery



Where is the gatekeeper? It is snowing so maybe he is inside.



Oh, those are skeletons...



Jade beam! Jade beam!



It's all been destroyed...



Everyone is dead...



Abbot Laurent, the cool blind guy, is gone...





We do find some upgrades among the rubble though. Even more new robes for Rosalind.



Medeva: DESTROYED
Iona: DESTROYED
Saanavarh: DEMONIC SQUATTER
Orenia: SAVED

Eh, 1/4 Isn't that bad. Right? And really, the only survivors in Orenia were the remaining Jade Temple soldiers and a couple dozen villagers in Wolong as far as we know. So it barely even counts!



Is that Yago?



What happened?

Yago: The demon that possessed me has no use for a frail creature such as myself. Machival now has what he wants. The Rings are no more, the demons are free, and Medeva lies in ruin.

Machival?

Yago: The Demon of Darkness, the monster you summoned in Ciran. *With his cane, Yago absently traces a circle on the ground in front of him.* I am an old fool. I became an instrument of the very catastrophe I hoped to stop. My sacrifices were all in vain.

An instrument?

Yago: The demon corrupted Galienne and Sornehan, just as he had manipulated the four of you. Machival seduced them with the infernal power of the Nhuvasarim.

The Nhuvasarim?

Yago: 'Possess the secrets of Laharah's sorcerers' Machival promised them, 'and fate shall be your slave! Time will grovel at your feet!' *Yago gestures toward the ruins of the Great Library.* And so, with my knowledge of the monastery, the demon told Galienne where to find the writings of that dark heresy.

What happened then?

Yago: Galienne stole the tomes of the Nhuvasarim and returned to Lenele, where Sornehan and the demons had crushed Tarhimun and the army of King Bellias.

What happened to Iona?

Yago: The demons besieged the monastery. Abbot Laurent and all his monks could not repel their onslaught. They butchered the monks of this sacred order and plundered the Great Library! The labors of Carados have been undone. Sornehan and Galienne now possess the tomes written in Aosi, language of the gods. In their madness, they rule over the wasteland of Medeva. The agony of their people makes them grow ever stronger.

We need the Khosani scrolls.

Yago: The Great Library is nothing but a ruin. If the scrolls survived the demons' attack, you will find them in Lenele. You must confront Sornehan and Galienne. They will be expecting you. They have cast powerful wards in every corner of the city. You will never reach the palace alive, unless...

Unless what?

Yago: Unless Joseph and Flece were to wait outside the walls of Lenele. You are the Summoner, and they know now that Flece is heir to Bellias's throne. You are the ones Sornehan and Galienne want to destroy!

Wait outside the walls of Lenele?

Yago: The wards they cast are a difficult magic, and Lenele has many hiding places. If they believe the four of you will enter Lenele together, perhaps their wards watch only for Joseph and Flece. If Jekhar and Rosalind enter on their own, they might have a chance of reaching the palace.

Will you come with us?

Yago: No, my journey is one I must undertake alone, and I am no longer of use to anyone. Before we part ways, I must ask for your forgiveness.

I forgive you.

*Rosalind embraces Yago.* And I forgive you, father. When we have defeated the demons, we'll rebuild the monastery together.

Yago: If I live to see that day, Rosalind. You have my solemn promise. Farewell, and may the fates watch over you.

Desolate Iona















Rosalind?



I trained to read the language of the gods, dreaming of the day I'd pass through these doors.



Now I visit a grave of a mother or father I never knew. A grave desecrated by evil men.



I sense a rampage coming on.