Voodoo Master
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Z Location: Smoke in the Trees, Chains of Command, InspecZion, On Broken Wings, Queen of Swordhaven, Heroes, Plans Entwined, Direct Current, The Way Forward, For the Fallen Quests given None Shops owned None Dialogue Smoke in the Trees ???: I apologize, General Akanthus. But since we have orders not to interfere with Falconreach... it's hard to track their scouts... Z: I... I can send more patrols into the swamps, but we can't just keep sending troops in. Z: Few, if any, make it out, and any maps we make are inaccurate the next time we try. Z: I will not, General. Z: We have our... our orders. Z: Our scouts have been monitoring the location of a Clawkin settlement on the edge of Betrubung Swamp. Z: According to some of our... guests... from the town, they occasionally make contact with the rebellion. Z: Our orders are to capture as many Clawkin as possible, and destroy the settlement. Z: When the rebellion shows up to save the day, we will capture them as well. Z: Y-yes, soldier. Some of you are new recruits who haven't been on the receiving end of rebellion attacks. Z: These settlements of magical creatures are fronts for training grounds for Vind forces. Z: They fill the heads of these animals with lies and deceit to gain their trust. Z: We must detain them and... rehabilitate them all. Z: Any other questions? Z: Very well. Move out. Chains of Command Z: ... Z: And yet, such cruelty has delivered to me exactly what I desired. Exactly as planned. Z: Capture?! Capture? Z: The latest iteration of my Anti-Magic shackles don't merely capture! Z: By redirecting a being's natural flow of magic to the shackles, they are not only captured, but placated! Pliable! Z: It's Golemancy! Z: And it's brought you here. The leader of your little rebellion. The... Breeze, was it? Z: Of course. If we couldn't locate you we'd just have to poke and prod what we could find, and sooner or later... Z: That traitor, Carat, served his role well, too. Led you right here. Akanthus was right, yet again. Z: Bah. Clearly you aren't going to submit peacefully. Z: Guards! Seize her! Z: No- It can't be! Z: You- you're gone! Frozen! Z: But if... No... Akanthus didn't tell me about this! Z: Guards! Guards!! Z: Always meddling... Always in the way! Z: Have we— have we met?! Z: It is I: Zadd! Z: Golemancer! Z: We will see about that! Golems, to me! Z: And now, to make my escape! Z: I apologize, general. I couldn't have planned for <Character>. Z: General? InspecZion Z: *grumbles* Z: Works... Z: This one... Z: But not that one... Z: Oh, why, why, why?! Z: They worked wonderfully with the young dragons that we captured... Z: I was so proud of that! Z: Yet bracelets for elementals... still elude me. Z (shouting): Still! Z: And might I ask what is going on here? Z: You're pale. Why is that? Z: Apparently? What are trying to pull? Either you had food poisoning or you didn't! Z: Amnesia? Ha! That the poorest excuse I've ever heard! Z: I don't care what his excuse is! He's a fraud and I know it! Z: I mean just look at his face. Z: It's the embodiment of evil! Z: Scan orb! Initiate facial recognition scan! Z: I said initiate facial recognition scan! Do it again! Z: Ah ha! A Neromancer! I knew it! Z: Initiate Necromancer scan. Z: I said initiate Necromancer Scan! Z: Oh, so a Deathknight now is it? Thought you could hide your true form from a Necromancer Scan? Deathknight Scan! Z: Hmphtt... So you think you're smart having trumped all these scans? Z: You're coming with me! Z: Oh... look who's talking. The Orb that can't scan anything right. Z: ...Are you insulting me? Z: I'll have you know that I am a high ranking Rose official. Z: I can do WHATEVER I want! I could have you discharged and destroyed if I wanted to. Z: And I'll say what I want when I want, do you hear me!? Z: ......... Z: That tears it! Z: I'll pulverize him! Z: Leave him to rot in the Sneevil Dumpsite! Z: You haven't heard the last of me! On Broken Wings Z: Oh, lookie here... Queen of Swordhaven Z: Ohohohoho! Z: This is simply marvelous! Z: Such craftsmanship! Z: This is totally my aesthetic! Z: Ah! Looook! My hands are trembling! Z: Ooohoohoho, absolutely! I have no doubt about that. Z: Make sure to bring me that... "mana person" Jaania has spoken about as well, please! Heroes Z: Schmoozing up to the gnomes, pah. Z: Apologies, Lady Jaania. Z: Findings? Z: OH! Oh, yes yes yes! The foreign golems and this blue person! Z: Let me start with the golems, as they are my specialty, however... the two seem to be connected, at least I believe so. Z: At a first glance, it seemed to me as if the Magesterium golems and the golems on our lands were the same. Z: But then I extracted the cores... and it dawned on me that their golemancy is on a much, MUCH higher level. Z: Ah, I have it here somewhere... Z: There it is! Z: The golemancy in our lands operates on the principle of animating an inanimate matter through, in most cases, magical means. Z: The mage creating the golem animates it by giving a part of themselves and imbuing it into the inanimate matter... Z: ... so that the golem follows only the instructions of its creator. Z: This "part" is, again, in most cases, just a fraction of the maker's mana. Z: But the golemancy of this Shapeless Empire, my Lady... Z: It pains me just to say it, but it's... extremely impressive. Z: This core, Lady Jaania... Z: It appears to be some sort of a phylactery. Z: In this case, not at all. These "phylacteries" do indeed contain souls, but they are in no way linked to the creation of a Lich, or an undead... Z: ... or anything of that like. Z: With all of my vast academic knowledge... and some wild speculation... Z: I have deduced that those comatose people that Magesters use to cast spells are filled with mana! Z: Raw mana! The purest, most condensed mana! Z: Oh, uh, well... Z: The reason I bring this up is that I believe... Z: I believe... quite strongly, if I may add, that when these people are imbued with raw mana to become, shall I say, nexuses... Z: Their souls are... ejected? From their bodies? It is just a theory, but it does hold! Hear me out! Z: The soul is ejected, Magesters catch it and put it in a phylactery that is later used as, well, somehow, as a power core for the golems! Z: It all seems quite... ingenious. I must conduct more research. With your permission, of course. Z: But... but... Z: As you command, Lady Jaania. Z: Excuse me... Z: I've happened to notice these... intriguing contraptions. Z: Would you say... you could make more of those? Plans Entwined Z: ... and while the gnomes are coating the airship's underside with thrithril, I'm enchanting— Z: Oh, uhh, it's an Atealan... mineral, I believe? Funfoot says the gnomes have used this material as a protective layer on a past ship before. Z: Uhhh, where was— Oh! Z: I'm enchanting every board, every screw, the whole deal, with a spell... Z: ... that should act as an extra protection, on top of the trithril coating, from the Fissure's updraft magic radiation. Z: It is as you requested, even if the airship were to fly directly over the Fissure, we should be safe... I believe. Z: Well, that's the issue. Everything about this is new. We're doing— Z: Y—yes, Lady Jaania? Z: Oh, ah, uhh... of course, Lady Jaania! Z: That reminds me, I'm also working on the mobile golem units, with gnomish help! Would you like to view the progress? Z: U—understood. Direct Current Z: Ah, well, on that topic I have some wonderful news, Archmagus! Z: It is, for the most part, complete! Z: It turns out that trithril is a bit more... complicated to work with than we predicted. Z: The airship is serviceable, but more time would mean more safety for– Z: Er, most certainly! Z: But- the leylines are a flow, a series of rivers to be dammed, not something to push and pull at your whim! Z: Ah, but, Archmagus, wouldn't that mean you would have to get... close enough to the mana core? Z: I- er, yes, a wondrous dream, Archmagus. Z: We'll save the world, together! Z: Most intriguing! And you say you just... found it in some ruins? Z: Fascinating! But what of its safety? Such a powerful source of elemental energy must be quite volatile. Z: Haha, indeed, indeed! Z: Oh yes. Yes. I don't see why not. Z: Absolutely not. I shall inform the gnomes of your pending arrival. I'm sure Jaania will be most pleased to hear about this as well! Z: Er- f-friends? I, um... well, General, I... Z: F-formidable? That is, I- Yes! Yes. Z: It is about time I got recognition for my efforts! Z: Haha, certainly not. Z: Yes. After all, once her plan comes to fruition, she'll find out for herself all the work we've put in for her. Z: There's no need for us to inconvenience her with our paltry distractions. Z: I will send word to the gnomes immediately. Until next time, Akanthus! The Way Forward Z: So, Akanthus, as you can see, we've managed to get the airship powered with the uh, power source you procured. Z: My insight was invaluable! Z: You're satisfied with the work then, um, Akanthus? Z: Y-yes sir! Z: General Akanthus is second only to Jaania in The Rose! I'm... relieved he was happy with our progress. Z: Er... Y-yes. Probably. For the Fallen Z: Of course it was you tearing through my creations. Z: Who else could it have been? Z: <Character>. And in the company of the Magesterium, no less. The reports were true, then. Z: You'd rather side with those monsters than admit that Lady Jaania could protect us all. Z: Now, now. There's no need to be uncivil. I'm sure we could have a wonderful discussion about the intricacies of these fascinating golems. Z: Jaania has graciously allowed me to continue my research, you see. Z: And it has borne much fruit. Z: And so what if she is? Z: Lady Jaania has given me everything I could have wished for. Z: If I can buy time for her to complete her mission, then I will be happy to oblige. Z: On this, we agree. I have so much more to do, after all. Z: Behold, my research! And perish! Z: Not again, not again not again not again! Z: You haven't seen the last of me! No. This won't be the end. Z: Golems, to me! Z: Have fun, <Character>. Until next time! Z: No— Z: There's... still so much... to discover... Other information Z previously appeared in the retired quests Smoke in the Trees, Facing Z, The Fairy Court and Queen of Swordhaven; any retired content has been archived on its respective entry. Z's Smoke in the Trees dialogue was rewritten on May 29th, 2020; more information can be found in the May 29th, 2020 Design Notes. spoiler:
Also See: Zadd Thanks to Jay for image, other information, and corrections. Niki for corrections.
< Message edited by DemonicDarkwraith -- 9/17/2023 17:08:40 >
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