Files
xiashtra 03d949abaf 7.45 follow-up (#99)
* Update cn

* 7.45 follow-up
2026-03-03 21:04:14 -06:00

17 KiB

10TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_00The Crystal Exarch has a request for you.
21TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_01
32TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_02
43TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_03
54TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_04
65TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_05
76TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_06
87TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_07
98TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_08
109TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_09
1110TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_10
1211TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_11
1312TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_12
1413TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_13
1514TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_14
1615TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_15
1716TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_16
1817TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_17
1918TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_18
2019TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_19
2120TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_20
2221TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_21
2322TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_22
2423TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SEQ_23
2524TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_00Attune to the aetheryte in the Crystarium.
2625TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_01Speak with Katliss in the Crystalline Mean.
2726TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_02Speak with Moren in the Cabinet of Curiosity.
2827TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_03Speak with Bragi at Musica Universalis.
2928TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_04Find the Crystal Exarch near the Exedra and present your findings.
3029TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_05
3130TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_06
3231TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_07
3332TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_08
3433TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_09
3534TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_10
3635TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_11
3736TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_12
3837TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_13
3938TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_14
4039TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_15
4140TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_16
4241TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_17
4342TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_18
4443TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_19
4544TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_20
4645TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_21
4746TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_22
4847TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_TODO_23
4948TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_GARLONDMAN03279_100_000I've been keeping that device you uncovered safe and sound. Did you need to use it again...?
5049TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_Q0_100_000Touch the beacon and travel to the First?
5150TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_000Now, a full and frank discussion in the privacy of my study would seem to be in order...
5251TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_001...But I think our conversation would be more meaningful were you first to gain a firmer grasp of the situation here.
5352TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_002To that end, I would like you to visit a few of the Crystarium's civic leaders, and glean something of this world and its predicament.
5453TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_003As you can see, this path will take you directly to the aetheryte─a convenience with which I am sure you are only too familiar.
5554TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_004Being the rightful object of my summoning spell, you should in theory be able to reach all the way back along your aetheric trail and find a connection in the Source, believe it or not.
5655TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_005I *strongly* suggest you complete this attunement before venturing any further.
5756TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_006After you have done so, walk up the steps next to the aetheryte and head out to the left to arrive in the Crystalline Mean. This is where you'll find our collective of crafters and gatherers, as well as their spokeswoman, Katliss─one of the people I should like you to meet.
5857TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_007Another is Moren. To reach him and his “Cabinet of Curiosity,” you'll want to avoid the aforementioned steps, take the exit on the left, and simply continue straight along and down until you come to the large doors at the end of the path.
5958TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_008The third and final person I should like you to meet is Bragi, our man in charge of trade and distribution. He is to be found in the markets, which you can access from the opposite side of the aetheryte plaza.
6059TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_009In seeking out each of my colleagues, you will visit the major districts of the city, and hopefully gain a feel for the place. I trust my directions were simple enough?
6160TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_Q1_000_010What will you say?
6261TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_A1_000_011Crystal clear.
6362TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_A1_000_012To the right and down the where now...?
6463TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_013Hah, very good. I concede, the layout of the Crystarium owes more to historic necessity than planning, but I'm sure you'll learn its twists and turns before long.
6564TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_014My apologies. I forget how confusing the Crystarium can be for newcomers. Not to worry! I'm sure you'll soon become accustomed to its twists and turns.
6665TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_015...In all honesty, the true challenge may be in finding the right way to approach its citizens.
6766TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_016As you discovered during your encounter with the captain, the people of this world are unaware of the existence of other stars, and will struggle to accept the truth of your origin.
6867TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_017That being the case, when they ask whence you hail─as they inevitably will─I suggest you claim to share a homeland with the Crystal Exarch. There is an unspoken rule here about peering too deeply into that particular mystery.
6968TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_018When you've finished making the rounds, pray meet me in the large courtyard at the center of town. Until then.
7069TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_020The attunement worked as hoped, I trust? Any trouble finding my three colleagues?
7170TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_021Remember: starting from the aetheryte, go up the steps and to the north to find the Crystalline Mean, where Katliss awaits, or forgo the steps and take the north passage to reach the Cabinet of Curiosity, and Moren.
7271TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_022Exiting to the south of the aetheryte plaza, meanwhile, will bring you to the markets, overseen by Bragi. The order in which you visit them is entirely up to you, of course.
7372TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SYSTEM_000_030By focusing your senses, you detect the flow of vastly distant currents of aether. Your connection to these energies is faint but stable, and should allow teleportation to aetherytes in the Source.
7473TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_040Rare to see a place so well stocked with goods, isn't it? But not here.
7574TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_041I'm going to guess you're new to our fair city?
7675TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_042Well, for what it's worth, you've chosen a fine sanctuary. The Exarch can throw up a barrier if the sin eaters come knocking, so it's a damn sight safer in here than it is out there.
7776TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_043Safer and more civilized, too─thanks to us in the Mean. We work together to procure materials and resources, and craft the goods which make city life possible. This is the place to visit if you need a coat mended or a kettle forged!
7877TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_044Just don't go thinking it'll all be handed to you on a plate like those Eulmoran layabouts. Here in the Crystarium, we work for a living.
7978TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_045Though I see you're no stranger to honest labor. You don't have that whiff of indolence about you like some folk I've met. Still, I can't quite pin down your profession... Where is it you're from?
8079TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_046...One of the *Exarch's* countrymen, you say? ...I see.
8180TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_047Well then, I'll work twice as hard to make you feel welcome! Our city wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him, and any friend of his is a friend of ours!
8281TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_048It's really quite incredible when you think about it. They say his grand magicks summoned the Crystal Tower into existence─pulled the entire thing out of thin air.
8382TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_049It wasn't long before droves of refugees began congregating around its base, desperate for shelter after losing their homes to the Flood...
8483TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_050And that's how the Crystarium began. At the Exarch's invitation, buildings started going up, and with the help of some curious relics brought forth from the tower, the place gradually expanded into the thriving metropolis you see today.
8584TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_051The city's stood here for decades now, yet the eldest among us swear the Exarch looks exactly the same as he did back then...
8685TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_052He is indeed a man of many mysteries. But for all his secrecy, he has never yet let us down.
8786TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_053So if he─and you─wish to remain silent about your shared homeland, then the folk here will respect your wish for privacy.
8887TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_054...I am, however, more than a little curious to see any crafting talent you might be hiding! If you've aught to contribute on that front, be sure to come back and visit once you've had a chance to settle in.
8988TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_055Just ask for Katliss, and I'll find you a niche here in the Crystalline Mean. You can help us keep the cogs of the city greased and turning!
9089TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SYSTEM_000_056Your exchange with Katliss has taught you about “Life in the Crystarium.”
9190TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_KATLISS_000_060Feel free to look around the workshops, but try not to distract the artisans. If they fall behind in their quotas, then everyone suffers for it.
9291TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_070Er, e-excuse me, miss! Are you recently come to the city, perchance? I'm quite familiar with our civic roles, you see, and...well... Ahem!
9392TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_071Wh-What I mean to ask is, *have you brought any books with you*!? A rumpled scroll, even? A scrap of scribbled-on parchment...?
9493TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_072...My apologies. Literature is something of an obsession of mine. As well as a profession.
9594TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_073Librarian Moren, at your service. And this humble collection is known as the Cabinet of Curiosity.
9695TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_074As your powers of perception have likely informed you, my colleagues and I are responsible for curating all manner of tomes, documents, and other vehicles for the written word.
9796TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_075As horrific as the loss of life and land wrought by the Flood unquestionably was, the damage to recorded knowledge was no less catastrophic. We few do all we can to preserve what wisdom survived.
9897TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_076But tell me, what brings you to the Cabinet today? Looking for any title in particular? Mayhap a spot of academic research!?
9998TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_077Oho! So you've an interest in modern history? Splendid! A thorough review of recent events can often yield novel perspectives, I quite agree!
10099TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_078If you would prefer something visual to accompany the account, then I think I have an illustrated history book for children somewhere... Just a moment, and I'll fetch it for you.
101100TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_079And here we are. Would you like to pull up a chair? Make yourself more comfortable? ...Ahem, on with the lesson, then.
102101TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_080A hundred years ago─or near enough not to matter─villains known as the Warriors of Light slew the Shadowkeeper, the steward of Darkness.
103102TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_081In the wake of this tainted deed, Light began to pour into the world as if from unseen cracks. It pooled and swelled without cease, until the day an enormous, blinding wave rose up and swept across our star.
104103TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_082We called this calamity the “Flood of Light.” Everything it touched was leeched of life and vigor, leaving naught behind but a luminous wasteland.
105104TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_083Yet just when it seemed that all would be lost, a savior appeared before us...
106105TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_084The Oracle of Light. She stood 'twixt us and approaching doom, and by her power did she stay the Flood. Thus was Norvrandt, and Norvrandt alone, spared the fate of erasure.
107106TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_085Tragedy would, however, arrive in another form. From the blasted emptiness descended horrors of strange and terrible aspect to bedevil the few folk who survived.
108107TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_086These “sin eaters” were Light incarnate, and their fulgent presence stole the night from Norvrandt's sky.
109108TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_087Even now, they circle the remaining bastions of civilization, ever on the hunt for us, ever hungering for our flesh...
110109TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_088...And thus did the world become what it is. Should you ever wish to hear the tale again, I would be glad to retell it for you.
111110TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MOREN_000_089O-Or if you would rather I speak of other matters, that too would be my pleasure! I should be glad of the company!
112111TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SYSTEM_000_090Your exchange with Moren has taught you about “The Flood of Light.”
113112TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_100New to the city, friend? The spinning head and wide eyes give you away.
114113TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_101Welcome. My name is Bragi, and I'm the master of these markets. They gave the district another, official title, but I'm not in the habit of using it. Too florid by half...
115114TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_102In any case, our merchants stock a range of equipment for Humes such as yourself, so finding something in your size shouldn't be a problem.
116115TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_103In any case, our merchants stock a wide range of equipment, so we should have something in your size. Forgive my asking, but you *are* a dwarf, yes? We don't get many of your lot coming down from the mountain these days.
117116TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_Q2_000_104What will you say?
118117TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_A2_000_105I'm sorry, did you say, “Humes”...?
119118TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_A2_000_106Um, I'm actually a Hyur...
120119TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_107Aye? Something wrong?
121120TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_108Hm? Must be a dialect I'm not familiar with.
122121TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_109Let's see if we can straighten this out. See those two in front of us? The shorter one is a Hume, like you.
123122TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_110And the taller one is an elf.
124123TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_111That sturdy individual over there is a Galdjent...
125124TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_112...whilst the one with the horns is a Drahn.
126125TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_113And then you have the large, scaly chaps with long tails and a knack for raising livestock. Those would be the Zun.
127126TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_114...Which is apparently not the name you know them by. Now I'm curious to know which far-flung region you hail from...
128127TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_115...Which is apparently not what you call them. Do the dwarves have different names for all the peoples of the world? Or did you pick up the common tongue in some other far-flung region...?
129128TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_116Ah, the same as the Exarch, eh? Well, that explains it.
130129TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_117You don't get much further-flung than that. We've had a few of your lot pass through in recent years, and despite their obvious learning, they floundered over the simplest things.
131130TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_118But not to worry! Should you find yourself confused by the local language or customs, I'll be here to answer your questions.
132131TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_SYSTEM_000_119Your exchange with Bragi has taught you about “The Peoples of the First.”
133132TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_120I didn't point them out earlier, but I'm sure you'll spot a Mystel, or another Ronso like me sooner rather than later. Even Viis like Captain Lyna aren't that unusual in this city.
134133TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_BRAGI_000_121Aye, the Crystarium's long been a sanctuary for all manner of refugees─except maybe the dwarves. Those lot prefer to keep themselves to themselves, in my experience.
135134TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_130Well, how did you fare? Did my colleagues help you form a clearer picture of this world and its people?
136135TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_131Yes, it seems you were treated to a most thorough introduction. I understand it was something of a chore, but 'twas necessary that you grasp these things before we proceed.
137136TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_132As for the Crystal Tower's origin, you may have noted that details were sparse. The structure is, in fact, the selfsame one you know from the Source, transported to the First in its entirety.
138137TEXT_LUCKMA102_03280_MYSTERYVOICE_000_133It was my first attempt at breaching the boundaries between worlds─something of a trial run for your eventual crossing. And although I do not know which era I tore it from, I *do* know that its arrival served to set the wheels of fate in motion.