TAKE X (6-5-17: The End)

>say hello to the jarbeast

> Look inside a jar.



You look inside one of the jars nearer to you. It's filled with something orange-ish, which bubbles slightly.

> Pour a jar out.



You uncork the jar and pour it out. Whatever's inside it, it's pretty viscous and it's taking its time coming out. You can relate.

> Pick up the trash.



Someone left a book here - it's called "Notes on the Emek Archipelago." As you flip through it, you realize that it's a collection of theories about the island. Convenient, that.

There are a bunch of loose pages in the back that almost fall out. You shuffle them back in order and read through them.

P.1
Let these pages be a record of the hitherto-unknown missing chapter of Ennen's history. Even some of my colleagues would not believe you if you showed this to them; however, know that what follows is the absolute truth.

P.2
Cast your memory back ages and ages, to when the Crystal first appeared. You may or not be aware that the Crystal is the source of magic in Ennen - from it, magical energy flows through the entire world. When the Crystal first appeared, those that were exposed directly to it gained the ability to wield magic themselves.

P.5
Easily the most dangerous of all of the beings the Crystal created, they didn't look it - in fact, they seemed the most unassuming.

P.7
On top of that, they changed elements upon being exposed to the artifact. They became the 'void' element - the element of stealth and invisibility. That, combined with their magical talent, meant that they would be able to pass unnoticed in any situation. A very deadly combination, were they inclined to use it maliciously.

P.8
It didn't seem like they were, at first. They kept to themselves. They stayed in dark places - perhaps the light was uncomfortable for them. Who knows? In fact, it looked for all the world like they just wanted to be left alone. A lot of time passed like this.

P.9
One day, though, much later, one of the others - an olitha, a child of one of the original ones - found them. The olitha asked them why they stayed all alone in the dark like that. Who knows now if the olitha was genuine or if it was merely taunting them? It doesn't really matter at this point.

P.15
It wasn't an ideal solution, to be sure, but at the time, it's the best we could come up with.

Who knows what that all means. You stash the book in your inventory.

>Knock on door, stealthily

> Knock on the door.



You knock on the door, then realize afterwards that there is absolutely nowhere to hide in this room. Nevertheless, you crouch down in the corner and hope that that's good enough.



The door slides open, and some bald guy looks out. He doesn't notice you, and he ducks back in.



He leaves the door open, though. Security is really bad here.

Well, head on through!

>Caution, he might have activated DEATH TRAPS

grab a bottle first

> Grab a jar.



You grab one of the empty jars. After all, you never know when you might need to contain something viscous.



You head towards the door cautiously. Your years of extricating liberation or whatever have taught you that there's no such thing as being too careful. It's like the time you were hired to lift the Staff of Al'Sedendun from the Phantom Pyramid of Rashaka. Now, that place had traps up to your ears - literally, in the case of the infamous Ear-Shear Room on Level 2. You're still not sure who went to the trouble of putting a sign up above the door of the Ear-Shear Room proclaiming its name, but it did make it easier to get out of there with two intact ears.

(And three more non-intact ears that you found preserved in one of the traps, but you figure they don't count.)

Anyway, time to keep moving.

> Bonus scene unlocked!




...Long story short, I get the feeling something's going wrong in Emek. The Miracle Men reported that they captured one intruder, but I think someone else is breaking in.


You're not sure?


I've told you before. Something about those islands keeps me from directly watching. That's why the Miracle Men are there.


Look, I gotta tell ya, those Miracle Dudes are creepy like nothing else.


Isn't it great?


It's somethin', all right.


Anyway, your job will be to get there and find out why this place is attracting visitors all of a sudden. The Miracle Men aren't great for information gathering.


Sure thing, boss. But, uh, I wanted to talk to ya about somethin'. When Celeste showed up, what ya did to me...


Oh, Blue, don't even start. You're mine through and through, and I'll use you like a puppet any time I see fit. Though, that reminds me: your track record recently has been incredibly disappointing. This time, neither of your little friends are involved, so I expect nothing less than perfection, do you understand?


...Yes, boss.


Good. I don't think I need to tell you what'll happen if you don't bring home the metaphorical blastbacon this time. That's all for now. Let me know how it goes.




...(h'oh boy...)

> Head into the next room.



The door slams shut behind you as you enter the next room past the hallway. This room is a lot less grimy and way better lit, but you can't immediately make out what the purpose of it is. A filing cabinet hugs the wall nearest you, and there's someone asleep on a cot over in the corner. Books line the shelves.

Where to start?

>Quick grab up all of those papers like some kind of paper-based kleptomaniac

Look at that map.

>What a lifelike statue! It should fetch a pretty price

Beware of that orange puddle, yuck. Throw some salt on that thing

> Watch out for the orange puddle.



Yeah, this puddle of... something... is pretty unnerving. You're pretty sure this is the same stuff as what was in the jar you poured out in the hallway. No way is it the same puddle, though. That'd just be bizarre. Who ever heard of a moving puddle?

Anyway, you make sure to keep a good distance from it.

> Examine the map.



You look at the map on the wall. Looks like a normal map - you've got the same one in a book somewhere back home - but for some reason, the Emek Archipelago and Vezretti are circled.

> Check on the person.



You kneel down next to the woman on the cot. Her breathing is slow and she's snoring every now and again. You figure you'll let her sleep - it's generally bad form to start waking people up when you've come to rob them. There's some kind of orange gunge on her - looks like the same stuff as the puddle.

Ick.

You resolve to make absolutely sure you keep your distance from the puddle.

> Collect the papers.



You collect the papers littering the floor. Looks like they go with the loose pages in the book you found. You take a moment to glance through them before sorting them in with the rest.

P.3
Those were not only the ancestors of modern humanity - they were the ancestors of most of the sentient beings in Ennen overall. Those who encountered the Crystal found themselves changed - changed into those who we now call olithas, dryads, arbas, nagas, vampires, and, yes, humans, as well as others. This is all well-known.

P.10
What happened next, though, did matter. They turned the olitha into one of them. We still don't quite understand how. For that matter, we're not sure they understood what happened either.

P.11
Thus began their campaign. They began spreading through the world, changing others to become like them. Their purpose and motive are likely never going to be known. They met resistance from the others, but what could the others do against a foe who could avoid all detection, use the most powerful magic, and take the appearance of their family and countrymen?

>Knock on deeper door

Alright, put all the pages in order and let's see what we have here..

> Put the pages in order.



You look over all the loose pages once you've sorted them.

P.1
Let these pages be a record of the hitherto-unknown missing chapter of Ennen's history. Even some of my colleagues would not believe you if you showed this to them; however, know that what follows is the absolute truth.

P.2
Cast your memory back ages and ages, to when the Crystal first appeared. You may or not be aware that the Crystal is the source of magic in Ennen - from it, magical energy flows through the entire world. When the Crystal first appeared, those that were exposed directly to it gained the ability to wield magic themselves.

P.3
Those were not only the ancestors of modern humanity - they were the ancestors of most of the sentient beings in Ennen overall. Those who encountered the Crystal found themselves changed - changed into those who we now call olithas, dryads, arbas, nagas, vampires, and, yes, humans, as well as others. This is all well-known.

P.5
Easily the most dangerous of all of the beings the Crystal created, they didn't look it - in fact, they seemed the most unassuming.

P.7
On top of that, they changed elements upon being exposed to the artifact. They became the 'void' element - the element of stealth and invisibility. That, combined with their magical talent, meant that they would be able to pass unnoticed in any situation. A very deadly combination, were they inclined to use it maliciously.

P.8
It didn't seem like they were, at first. They kept to themselves. They stayed in dark places - perhaps the light was uncomfortable for them. Who knows? In fact, it looked for all the world like they just wanted to be left alone. A lot of time passed like this.

P.9
One day, though, much later, one of the others - an olitha, a child of one of the original ones - found them. The olitha asked them why they stayed all alone in the dark like that. Who knows now if the olitha was genuine or if it was merely taunting them? It doesn't really matter at this point.

P.10
What happened next, though, did matter. They turned the olitha into one of them. We still don't quite understand how. For that matter, we're not sure they understood what happened either.

P.11
Thus began their campaign. They began spreading through the world, changing others to become like them. Their purpose and motive are likely never going to be known. They met resistance from the others, but what could the others do against a foe who could avoid all detection, use the most powerful magic, and take the appearance of their family and countrymen?

P.15
It wasn't an ideal solution, to be sure, but at the time, it's the best we could come up with.

You don't know what any of this is getting at, but you weren't ever great at history anyway. You were always better at math, vis-à-vis money and the addition to your coffers thereof.

> Knock on the door.



You knock on the door. Nothing happens, though it looks like this one isn't locked. Good news for you at least. Makes your job easier.



"Who are you?"

Whoops. Looks like your cover is blown. You briefly consider what to do.

Claim you're a courier. Someone told you to come here and pick something up.

That's basically accurate, other than a few implied details you see no reason to clarify.

>Answer in a friendly manner, and ask back: "And you are?"

>attempt to sidestep any possible attacks
>"the entertainment"

"Not suspicious at all"

> Answer as best you can.



You've never been the best at improvising when you're talking to people. Nevertheless, you do your best to bluff her.

"I'm... not suspicious at all! Just the entertainment-- sorry, I mean the courier. I'm... here to pick something up, that's all."

She gives you a calculating stare, then apparently decides that what you said passes muster. "Yeah, all right."

"And you are?" you add, eager to turn the topic away from yourself.

"I'm Justice. Look, are you going further in? You'll need to be careful. This place is no joke."

"Well, I--"



A loud slam shakes the room, interrupting you. After glancing around to try and figure out what it was, you try the door again.

"It's locked! But it was unlocked just a minute ago!" You curse under your breath.

Justice tries the door you came in through. "This one's locked too!"

"Ahem. Is this on?" A voice echoes through the room. You can't immediately tell where it's coming from. "I do believe it is. Now, I see we have another uninvited guest. Please remain in the holding cell until I come... welcome you."

That doesn't seem like it'll end well for you. The last time you got rumbled was when you were trying to steal the Diamond of Leah'Vih Tahloan from the Cathedral of Despair up in Qassan. You don't technically have any memory of what happened after that, but you don't think it was good.



You begin scouring the room for a way out.

Hey, there's some kind of vent up that ladder. Maybe it leads somewhere.

>ask justice to push the ladder to the vent
>ask justice why there'should a puddle of slime

Aha! The vents are probably trapped!
>Look behind the map on the wall instead

Ask what's up with the color orange