The Appointed Instrument |
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Stage 1 |
Location: | Star Chamber (2, 2) |
You step onto the Rune followed by 4595, within your mind you hear Garion whispering softly. You concentrate on the sound and then feel energies flow over your skin. You open your eyes and see a breathtaking blur of sound and light spinning beneath you.
You feel Garion smile, 'That is the Eye of Thought, it is formed by a convergence of minds. You see, thought has its own dimension. That is why when you dream you feel it is real, simply because it is. But we Purists can stabilize and magnify the effect so that I can allow you to slip from your location to mine through a thin opening within the encapsulating thought space. But it requires both of our concentration to keep the door open... What... Noooo... Come back!' |
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The colour and sound vanishes, you stand in high orbit over Sigma. The two moons rise over the ring, a breathtaking sight.
A silver river of starlight then sweeps you into a darkness, for an instant you see a pyramid silhouetted against a red sun.
You blink, then a sickening feeling of falling overwhelms you...
You blink again, and suddenly realize that you are on your knees. Cold stone against your palms, you look around and are utterly disorientated. A voice above you draws your attention. You look up at the faceless mask of a stone man.
'� I guess that you are now conscious. I am Indarthil. You have been chosen, you shall now serve the Altus.' |
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Stage 2 |
Location: | Star Chamber (2, 2) |
You feel the cold metallic touch of 4595's hand as he helps you to your feet. 'I think your mind-door-thing was somehow hijacked, this Indarthil seems to know you so I'll let you do the talking.' For a moment you are struck by the fear laced words from the robot, but push the thought aside and turn to the Altus before you. |
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The Altus towers over you. You force yourself to look directly into the faceless mask. There is a long period of silence. You feel Indarthil's gaze upon you, but you do not turn away.
The Altus nods slowly, 'I see the cauldron of hardship has shaped you Unit. And from what I can see for the better. The Mind of Sanctuary speaks highly of you.' The head of the Altus abruptly snaps to 4595, 'I see you have a metallic slave.' 4595 stiffens at the assumption, 'I am a Peace Officer of Tarrolan. I am tasked with helping the Citizen eliminate a threat to the City... which we have...' He trails off into uncertainty.
Indarthil's head tilts to one side like a cat, 'I see that your power reserves are nearly depleted, does this concern you?' 4595 sags, 'Yes, I will shut down in 55 minutes if I do not recharge my batteries, I really don't want to be left alone and forgotten out here.' Indarthil says gently, 'Can you sleep for a while, I can help with... your troubles.' The droid looks uncertainty between you and Indarthil, you nod encouragingly. The Police Droid shrugs then bows his head and goes silent without another word.
Indarthil steps closer to the Droid, 'I have heard tales of technology attaining sentience, but I have not seen it until now. You must take great care of your friend Unit.' His left hand suddenly glows and a purple crystal appears in his palm. He places his hand on the chest of the droid and a pale glow seeps through his stone fingers, the Crystal is absorbed straight into 4595.
He steps back and leans of his humming Glaive and waits. After a few seconds the droid wakes with a jolt, 'Oh � I feel much better! What did you do?' Indarthil chuckles, 'I implanted one of our Flux Crystals into you. It should keep you going for a millennium or two.'
But that is not why you were summoned here. As a servant of the will of the Altus I must protect their interests back on Sigma. There is a facility on a Ridge overlooking an area you now call the Kain Salt Run. Hidden there is the Golem Crucible where Altus Units were made. It has recently been discovered and is being overrun by looters. You will destroy them and everything they took from the Crucible. The tools of the Altus must not be used by other peoples... It causes... suffering. Do you understand Unit? Destroy everyone you find in the Golem Crucible and all connected with the thieves.'
You simply nod. You remember the trouble you caused by forcing the Sanctuary of Ages to manifest on the Ashstorm Plains. The Shard and TIU instantly started fighting over it to gain possession of the Sanctuary. Although the Altus are kind and wise, their powerful technology only causes problems.
Indarthil points to the Altus doorway in front of you. 'I sense clarity of purpose in you Unit. This Stairway has been keyed into a location near the Golem Crucible. I wish you triumph in your new endeavor. We shall meet again. Enter the stairway and exterminate the enemies of the Altus.' |
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Stage 3 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Ridge) (15, 15) |
You walk the Ridge trying to avoid the savage Mutants that seem to be running around the area. You are surprised to find a withered Karn sitting morosely on the tough Koljin grasses. |
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The old Mutant stares up at you, 'I suppose you have come to rid me of my life?' You take a step back so you appear less threatening, 'Not at all, we are just passing through. Have you found any strangers in the area of late?' The Old Mutant give a hollow laugh, 'We are not from this forsaken place. Our lands are south of here, but one day a red mist drifted over our village. I gathered the young cubs and ran from it. The Warriors laughed at me and called me a coward. But the tales state that one should flee from the unknown. It was not long when the our Tribe fell sick. I don't know what from. My old medicines only made the sickness worse. But a passing trader gave some stims and they recovered. I was expelled for my uselessness. The Trader said we should maybe move to a higher location if there is a Radiation that is poisoning the Tribe here.' The old Mutant actually laughs, 'Ridiculous notion, the Rad is our strength. We devour and gain strength from the aura of the land around us.'
You watch the Mutant squirm at the unpleasant memory. He then sighs heavily, 'The sickness returned after a few days, but this time it was worse. But it also brought a madness that meant that all who were struck down by the affliction had to leave for the safety of the Tribe. I was sent with the sick as punishment for my failure and cowardice. But I am grateful that none of the Cubs fell to the plague of madness. I don't know what is the problem, maybe it is Sigma's way of punishing us for some reason. We seem to have wandered from the old ways, bullets are easier than blades I'm told.' Your eyes narrow at the familiar ring to his words. You say, 'Ancient one, the old ways are old because they work and so they were preserved. We shall look into this sickness that destroys your tribe.'
The Old Mutant eyes you suspiciously, then shrugs. 'I went after the Trader to see if he had any other wisdom that I could gain. But he was devoured by a wild Venaxadon, his gun had jammed. But I found this Blueprint on him. Maybe you can find a use for it. I shall stay here and wait for whatever might come.'
You receive 1 x Isotope Marker Blueprint |
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Stage 4 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Ridge) (15, 15) |
The Keeper of Tales sits dejected on the ridge. He glances up at you, 'Did you discover what was effecting my people?' |
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The Keeper looks at the odd metal device, 'Sorry, what am I supposed to do with this?' You smile at him, then say. 'In your tales is there anything about a device within the Karn that allows them to communicate with each other?' The Old Mutant nods, 'There are several tales of talking with the mind.' You nod and say, 'That explains the Nano Array under the Warrior's skin. I'm not sure what is going on but we will find out.'
The Old Mutant looks up at 4595 then at you, 'I must ask, why do you help me?' The droid replies calmly, 'As a Peace Officer I am compelled to ease the suffering of those I find in need, my companion just seems to help people naturally. But do not worry, we will investigate this strange affliction where a Mutant is poisoned by Radiation.' He gives you a stern look, 'We must move on Citizen if we are to complete our... objectives.'
The Old Mutant stands slowly, 'I shall try to find out more about this... device you gave me. May the blood of your enemies flow my friends.' |
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Stage 5 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Corrie) (17, 2) |
4595 stands waiting for you patiently. |
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He nods at you, 'There seems to be a depression within the ridge here. I actually suspect it's a natural formation, but it would be a perfect place to hide something. Unfortunately some rather large and unpleasant bears seem to have claimed the area as their home. Search the area and see if you can find any sign of the Altus Facility. I estimate that you will need to kill 100 of the Koljin Black Bears which will allow you to move about the Corrie safely. Return to me when you complete your search.' |
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Stage 6 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Corrie) (16, 13) |
Beside a large stone dome pulsing with alien energies, you find an Orb floating in the air. The Orb glows slightly as you draw near. |
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The Orb hovers in place, it shines with a an inner cyan light. As you get closer to the odd object it suddenly speaks to you. 'Greetings, I am the Mind of Crucible. I have been expecting you. I have been told that you are working within the will of the Altus. I do apologize, but I find it hard to believe that you will simply help me. You must demonstrate your intent to me before I will trust you.'
You stare at the shining sphere in disbelief but remain silent. The Mind of Crucible continues, 'I have seen some strange Entities roaming around the area. My scanners don't seem to be able to lock onto them to get an accurate profile of them. I require you to go get a bone sample of one of those Entities so I can add them to my files and process any potential threat to the Crucible. Return here when you have the Bone Sample.' |
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Stage 7 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Corrie) (16, 13) |
The Orb floats in place next to a large stone done, as you draw near the Orb suddenly speaks. 'Welcome back, do you have the Bone Sample I asked for from the local Entities?' |
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You place the Bear Skull on the floor under the Orb, there is a shrill teleporter whine and the softly luminescent skull vanishes from sight in a flash of light. The Orb shimmers for a second, 'Oh, there is an odd Radiation wavelength within the bone, it scattered my scanners. But now I have a sample I can adjust for the shift and do a complete scan of the Entities now. Thank you Unit, it appears that you are indeed both helpful and efficient. I shall now give you access to the Golem Crucible (Vault) just off the Hall. Meet me there and I shall discuss more of my difficulties.
But first you should return to 4595 and update him on what you have found. |
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Stage 8 |
Location: | Koljin Heights (Corrie) (17, 2) |
The Police Droid waits for you, 'Greetings Citizen, have you found out anything in your search of the Corrie and dealt with those Bears yet?' |
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You describe the Stone Dome you found and meeting the Mind of the Crucible while 4595 listens intently. When you finish he nods, 'Excellent, I was beginning to worry that the Altus had sent us on a wild goose chase. We should go find this Vault and see what the Mind has to say for itself.'
You smile and turn to walk in the direction of the Dome, then stop. You turn back to 4595 and say, 'Just one thing, the Mind might be an AI, but it's an Altus AI and is not a thing, but a person. Don't make the mistake in thinking that you will be talking to a machine.' The Droid laughs, 'Ok Citizen, I shall be nice. Lead on.' |
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Stage 9 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Vault) (2, 2) |
You enter a small chamber, before you hovers a shining Orb. |
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As you step closer to the floating object is glows with an inner light, 'I'm glad you got here. I was worried that the Defenders would drive you away. This facility belongs to the Altus, the technology is powerful but is still just machinery. As such Altus technology can be sabotaged and misdirected. Having extremely powerful malfunctioning technology is bad enough, but a lot of Altus tech has a form of sentience. Which makes the situation more than dangerous as the machines can �feel� sick or broken, so they tend to lash out.'
'Now because a lot of my systems are self aware I do not require complete control over them. I simply ask and they obey if they can or give me an alternative if they can't. This makes for an extremely efficient system, when it's working properly. Unfortunately a group of well armed thieves have infiltrated the Crucible and are tearing out items to sell presumably. This is having a detrimental effect on how the systems of the Crucible are working and the entire Facility has gone into an aggressive mode. The problem has got so bad in some sections my systems no longer listen to my requests. I need help in getting the Facility back into a stable condition. To start with I need to re-connect with my Watchers, take this Blueprint and return here when you have the Status details of the malfunctioning Watcher Drones.'
You receive 1 x Watcher Status Blueprint |
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Stage 10 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Vault) (2, 2) |
The Mind Orb of the Crucible lights up the small chamber, 'Good to see you return, did you manage to complete the task set and quire the Watcher Status?' |
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You hold the Crystal Cube in front of you. With the familiar porter whine the Cube vanishes in a flash of light. The Orb of the Mind shimmers for a second, 'The Watcher has initiated the Isolation Protocol, which explains why I cannot contact them. They must have seen a threat within the Crucibles systems that I am not aware of. But now I know what they have done so I can over-ride it. Thank you Unit. There is a serious problem in the Maintenance Section, so meet me there.' |
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Stage 11 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Maintence) (15, 2) |
You and 4595 find the Mind Orb of the Crucible lights hovers in a quiet corner, 'Excellent, you're here. I require your assistance, will you help me again Unit?' |
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The Orb glows for a moment with light, 'Good, in the past we had an issue with an unruly Golem. It had an anomalous consciousness that desired the destruction of other living things. I could not discover the culprit as the Golem was extremely cunning, so I had to set up a surveillance network within the Crucible to catch the Golem. It worked. In the process of catching the murderous Golem I discovered that the network has been extremely useful so I didn't deactivate it. I made no secret of the network during it's installation and it is well documented in my memory crystals. The thieves have discovered and removed the scanner from this area. As my systems are not working properly I need the network running properly. Please find and reinsert the Scanner Eye into the Scanner Column. Return to me when you are done. |
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Stage 12 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Maintence) (9, 10) |
You search the Maintenance for the Scanner Column and eventually a strange floating pillar. |
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The Crystal slips easily into place. The pillar glows slightly and slowly rises high overhead.
You should return to the Mind Orb and inform her of your success. |
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Stage 13 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Maintence) (15, 2) |
You return to the Mind of Crucible, 'Ahhh, there you are, have you restored my Scanner Eye to it's rightful place? |
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The Orb goes silent for a moment, the gasps in astonishment. 'There are so many of them, it's an veritable infestation! You will destroy 200 of these Insurgent Saboteurs, then meet me in Golem Crucible (Finalise).'
As soon as the Mind stops speaking the light in the orb vanishes leaving an empty Crystal Sphere. 4595 laughs, 'I see what you mean Citizen, the AI does seem to have a remarkable capacity for an emotional response. We best do as she wants, or she might get mad at us.' |
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Stage 14 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Finalise) (5, 10) |
You find the shining Orb of the Crucible Mind, 'Have you dealt with those Insurgent Saboteurs in Maintenance yet?' |
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The Mind of the Crucible glows for a moment, 'Excellent. That is a sensitive area, I can't have trespassers wandering about unchecked. Unfortunately I have found another problem here. There seems to be a lot of items missing from my inventory. I take it that the Insurgents have taken them. I require them to be retrieved. I cannot have Altus technology being used by other races. Take this Finalise Item List Blueprint. Return to me when you have compiled the list.' |
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Stage 15 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Finalise) (5, 10) |
You return back to the Mind of the Crucible, 'Did you manage to complete the Finalise Item List?' |
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You hold out the stone case in front of you. Again it is teleported away by the Mind, 'Very good. Most of it has now been accounted for. We should really find out who these Insurgents are. I have been watching them whilst you have been away and I noted that the Vile Savent seems to be ordering the Looters around. Can you go find out who they are, my scans can't seem to penetrate their suits for some reason. |
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Stage 16 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Finalise) (5, 10) |
The Mind Orb pulses slowly before you, 'Have you found out anything about the identity of the Vile Savent (Champion)?' |
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You show the Orb the Unmarked Device you found on the Vile Savent. With a porter whine and flash of light the Device vanishes from your hand. 'I don't see anything either on or even inside the Device that would indicate who made it. I suspect that is the point, they are trying to hide their identity.'
You smile and say, 'I have walked the sands of Sigma for a while now. Almost everything I have found is either old or scavenged, very few items are new. Also I note that the Coms Device is not just new, but almost a work of art. I have only seen one company that does that � the Inkari. I also find odd that most of the Insurgents are actually Robots wearing full body suits. Why they would do this is beyond me. It's only the Savents that seem to have anyone inside the suits.'
The Orb goes very quiet for a long time, 4595 starts to shift on his feet nervously next to you. You both flinch when the Orb suddenly speaks again, 'I see your point Unit. The quality of the Coms Device is superb. Second only to the Altus. Which indicates the Inkari, I should have seen that myself. Also finding then gaining access to this facility is no mean feat, very few could do that. Which also points to the Inkari, they are a frighteningly clever race. With your help I have managed to regain almost total control over the Crucible. I have done this whilst keeping the illusion that the Insurgents still have the upper hand. There are only two areas that I cannot recapture, without raising their suspicion. That is the Testing and Portal Areas. I would guess that the Inkari have hacked the Portal, deactivated my security and simply walked straight into the Crucible unhindered. Very clever. But with both your help, I shall have the last laugh. Meet me in Testing and I shall tell you what I require. |
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Stage 17 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Testing) (2, 2) |
You find the Mind of the Crucible glowing in a darkened chamber, 'Are you and your Friend ready to your next task?' |
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The Orb shimmers slightly, 'Good, the Insurgents in this area are not simply taking objects, but tearing them apart and taking the few components that can be seen. I need to know what they are interested in. They seem to be looking for something in particular, go find out what that is. |
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Stage 18 |
Location: | Golem Crucible (Testing) (2, 2) |
You return to the Mind of the Crucible, 'Have you found out what the Insurgent Complier's are up to?' |
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You hold out the Matter Stream before you, it vanishes in a flash of light. 'Ah, I see what they have done. They cannot detect Altus power signatures directly, but they can detect the effect of their movement on the surrounding subatomic particles and predict the direction the Altus energies are moving in. Extremely ingenious, too clever for their own good. I'm not sure what use the Matter Stream could be to the Inkari, but I'm sure they have a reason to research it. At least they are not after weaponry.'
'Thank you both for all your help, now that I have regained control of the Crucible I can initiate the defenses and clear out the remaining Insurgents. I shall contact Indarthil and give him an update on my status. You can leave via the Portal. You have helped the Altus, we do not forget such kindness. Take this Blueprint as a token of our thanks.'
You receive 4,355,368 Xp + 50 Skill points + 1 x Tar San Weapon Add On Blueprint |
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