Icthlarin's Little Helper/Transcript

Desert Dweller

 * Player: Good day, wanderer.
 * Wanderer: Hello to you too adventurer.
 * Cat: Hss!
 * Wanderer: Aghhh get that cat away from me. Quickly please.
 * Player: I'm terribly sorry, come here kitty.
 * Player: Why? What's your problem with it?
 * Wanderer: Just take it away please. Take it away. If you do I'll tell you of the secret passageway.
 * Player: What secret passage?
 * Wanderer: Get the cat away from me first and then I'll tell you.
 * You pick up your cat.
 * Player: Ok now where is it?
 * Wanderer: It's over yonder by the group of rocks to the east. But you won't be able to enter, well not just yet anyway.
 * Player: Where does it lead to?
 * Wanderer: To Sophanem, the city of the dead.
 * Player: Tell me how I may enter?
 * Wanderer: First bring me some supplies and then I'll tell you. I'm running low and am about to embark on a long journey.
 * Player: What do you want then?
 * Wanderer: Give me a full water skin and a tinderbox. I seem to have lost my own and these desert nights are cold.
 * Player: Ok I'll get your supplies.
 * Player: I don't believe such an entrance exists.
 * Player: I have no time for this madness, goodbye.


 * Player: Good day, wanderer.
 * Wanderer: Hello to you too adventurer. Have you gotten my supplies?
 * Player: What did you need again?
 * Wanderer: Bring me a full waterskin and a tinderbox.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * Player: Tell me about Sophanem, this city of the dead.
 * Wanderer: It's the second city of the Menaphites, full of giant monuments to their dead.
 * Player: So it's not full of evil undead hordes then?
 * Wanderer: No but there is still plenty of adventure and gold to be had, plundering the graves of the rich and powerful.
 * Player: So who's in charge then?
 * Wanderer: The pathetic new high priest of Icthlarin. –The wanderer spits the last name out as if it were a curse –
 * Player: Tell me about this Icthlarin god.
 * Wanderer: No!
 * Player: I sense some hostility here.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * [Back to previous options]
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: What are you doing in the desert?
 * Wanderer: Wandering, drifting and just surviving. What about you?
 * Player: The usual, you know, seeking fame, fortune and adventure.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * [Back to previous options]
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: Who are you?
 * Wanderer: Just a nameless one. I had a name once, but it's been long forgotten.
 * Player: How sad, I hope no one will ever forget mine. The bards of RuneScape will learn of my epic adventures and write songs to recount my great deeds.
 * Wanderer: I don't doubt that.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * [Back to previous options]
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: How do you survive out here in the desert?
 * Wanderer: I survive off what little the land provides and the generosity of strangers and fellow travellers.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * [Back to previous options]
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: I've gotten most of the things you wanted.
 * Wanderer: I need both of them now. Hurry back when you have them.
 * Player: I'd like to ask you about something else.
 * [Back to previous options]
 * Player: I'm busy. I must be going now.
 * Player: No I haven't really bothered getting anything yet.
 * Player: Yes I have them here.
 * Wanderer: Look into my eyes. Look deeply into them. Don't blink.


 * You feel yourself moving towards the group of rocks, where the secret entrance to Sophanem lies. 


 * You slowly pull yourself off the ground. Your head pounds and an irrational sense of guilt nags you. 
 * Player: Ah, my poor head. What's going on? How did I get here? That woman, that wanderer, this is her doing.
 * You notice a ghostly figure making gestures in your direction. 
 * Klenter: You foul thief, return what is mine.
 * Player: What?
 * Klenter: You heard me, restore what you have stolen from my tomb!
 * Player: But...


 * Klenter: Thief.

The Sphinx

 * Player: Good day.
 * The Sphinx ignores you. 
 * Sphinx: Ah, how interesting...a cat. Come here to me, kitty.
 * Cat: Meow.
 * Your cat and the Sphinx converse in a yeowling language for a short time. 
 * Player: I need help.
 * Sphinx: Your companion tells me that you are in a spot of bother.
 * Player: What companion? Oh, you mean my pet cat? Well, I'm a little bit confused about 'goings on'.
 * Sphinx: What do you mean by goings on?
 * Player: Well, one second I'm here, and the next things go all black, and then I'm somewhere else. I have a cracking headache and some strange object in my bag which I can't throw away.
 * Sphinx: Have you taken a bang to the head recently?
 * Player: None really of much note. Although, thinking about it, things started to go a bit weird once I started talking to a wanderer outside town. She had the strangest red eyes and hair.
 * Sphinx: Interesting, very interesting. I'd like to help but I'm not going to get involved. Well, not just yet, anyway.
 * Player: Well, thanks. You've been a real help.
 * Sphinx: I will tell you one thing, though: some important objects and locations can trigger memories, no matter how repressed they are.
 * Player: Who are you?
 * Sphinx: I am an agent of neither good nor evil. I am concerned with the plight of mankind and their petty wars and beliefs.
 * Player: Well, now that you've told me what you're not, can you please tell me who or what you are?
 * Sphinx: I am the guardian of feline kind.
 * Player: Why would they need a guardian?
 * Sphinx: Cats play a significant role in the religion of this area, particularly when it comes to guarding against the Devourer.
 * Player: The Devourer?
 * Sphinx: She's the very incarnation of destruction.
 * Player: I don't understand.
 * Sphinx: What understanding do you have of the Menaphite gods?
 * Player: Little to none.
 * Sphinx: The Menaphite pantheon is made up of four main deities.
 * Player: Hang on. Pantheon? Deities? What are you talking about?
 * Sphinx: Sorry. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. A pantheon is the collective name for the gods or deities of a group of people.
 * Player: Ok, I think I'm getting the gang of all this god speak now.
 * Sphinx: The main god which the Menaphites worship is called Tumeken. His wife, Elidinis, is the goddess of fertility and growth.
 * Player: Does she have anything to do with the river that runs through the area?
 * Sphinx: That's very observant of you. The river Elid is named in her honour as it brings growth and life to the area during times of flood.
 * Player: That's great but could we get to the point here?
 * Sphinx: Patience. You humans are so impatient; no wonder your life only spans a number of decades. Tumeken and Elidinis had two children: Icthlarin and The Devourer.
 * Player: With a name like The Devourer, it's no wonder the kid turned out to be messed up.
 * Sphinx: She was not always called such. She is thought of by her deeds, now, rather than her name.
 * Player: So, then, we've got a simple case of good sibling fighting against bad sibling?
 * Sphinx: No, it's not really that simple. Neither are either good or bad. Icthlarin is the god of the dead and takes care of the passing of souls from one plane to another. Once long ago, he even was worshipped by the Mahjarrat but they have since turned away from him.
 * Sphinx: The Devourer is the goddess of destruction; she craves only to destroy things.
 * Player: I thought someone said she wasn't evil?
 * Sphinx: Fire destroys, but is that evil?
 * Player: Um, no, but it also creates heat.
 * Sphinx: Okay, we could have an overlong theological debate now, but to get to my point, recently - well, in the last age or so - The Devourer has taken to destroying humans.
 * Player: And...?
 * Sphinx: Not just killing them; totally destroying them, body and soul. This has brought her into conflict with Icthlarin.
 * Player: Ah hah, I see where this is going: the cats are used to protect the dead from The Devourer, like you said earlier. But who protects the cats?
 * Sphinx: Well anticipated. The Devourer is terrified of cats for reasons I will not explain. Her followers - although few in number - are not. I ensure the survival of cats and, for this service, Icthlarin grants me eternal life.
 * Player: So, then, you are a follower of Icthlarin?
 * Sphinx: Nothing of the sort. As I've said before, I have no interest in humans. I look after my kind and, for that, Icthlarin looks after me.
 * Player: Go on.
 * Player: This is all very interesting but I've got to get going.
 * Player: Go on.
 * Player: This is all very interesting but I've got to get going.
 * Player: What's going on in town?
 * Sphinx: I thought that this would be pretty obvious.
 * Player: Well, I could benefit from your point of view, you seem the independent type.
 * Sphinx: Flattery, my adventurer, will get you everywhere. But to answer your question, Sophanem has been struck down with plagues.
 * Player: What? More than one?
 * Sphinx: Quite a number, there's a plague of frogs to the west of town and, in the east, you can find locusts. The livestock are diseased, the cows have only been producing sour milk since the outbreak and the remaining residents have been struck down by some rash of spots.
 * Player: The remaining residents? There are a lot of living people here for a city of the dead.
 * Sphinx: Sophanem is called the city of the dead because the dead are brought here. Death plays a rather large role in the beliefs of the people and, as a result, the business.
 * Player: So how did they get out with all those guards at the gate?
 * Sphinx: When the plague first broke out, many of the resident tradespeople fled before the priests of Icthlarin decided to quarantine the city to prevent the plague being passed on to others living nearby.
 * Player: So, what caused the plague to break out?
 * Sphinx: Some irritated god or other... or, perhaps, some peevish human, their grievances interest me little.

Shopkeepers

 * [Raetul/Siamun]: Clear off you despicable vagabond.

Jex

 * Player: Hello.
 * [Jex/Priest]: What business does the cursed one have with a servant of Icthlarin?
 * Player: I need some help getting rid of this jar.
 * [Jex/Priest]: I will not aid a defiler of the dead. Get ye gone; your presence is soiling my austere aura.

Slave

 * Player: Hello.
 * Slave: Hey there!
 * Player: You seem rather happy for an enslaved labourer with a bad case of spots.
 * Slave: These spots are the best thing since log rollers!
 * Player: I really don't follow.
 * Slave: Well you see, since the outbreak of the plagues, the city has been under quarantine and has been unable to import anything.
 * Player: So...
 * Slave: So, no quarried rock has been able to get in. So, we have had no work to do. I hope the plague lasts forever.
 * Player: But aren't the spots intolerable?
 * Slave: I would take a dermatological imitation over back-breaking, mind-numbing labour any day. Although, there are other downsides.
 * Player: Dermi wha?
 * Slave: You know – when your epidermis...
 * Player: ...?
 * Slave: Your hide? Your skin? Your bark?
 * Player: I get ya. Now what were we talking about again? Oh, yes.
 * [Goes to next option]
 * Player: Tell me about these downsides, then.
 * Slave: Well, the cows have the plague too, so all they produce is sour milk... and plagued beef has me considering the unthinkable.
 * Player: What, starvation?
 * Slave: No, something far worse!
 * Player: What?
 * Slave: Vegetarianism! – A visible shiver runs down the back of the slave. –

Tarik

 * Tarik: Ouch!
 * Player: Are you alright?
 * Tarik: I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a scratch.
 * Player: Who are you then?
 * Tarik: Me? I'm Tarik.
 * Player: That hat you're wearing doesn't look like it comes from around here?
 * Tarik: It was a present, my employer thought it would suit me. I'm not sure it does, though it does keep the sun off very well.
 * Player: Who is your employer then?
 * Tarik: Simon Templeton, though I haven't seen him since the town gates were closed off.
 * Player: Simon Templeton... that name seems familiar?
 * Tarik: He's an archaeologist, I worked as an assistant for him. Though I work for myself now.
 * Player: So what have you been up to?
 * Tarik: Simon suggested that there might be riches to be found in that pyramid over there.
 * Player: So what's in the pyramid?
 * Tarik: Well, I'm not sure. First of all there's something odd about the doors on the place. There's four of them – but three of them lead to an empty tomb. The other one is guarded by something – I keep getting knocked out. If I make it through the door there's a Mummy waiting. But which door the right one is seems to change. It's all quite confusing.
 * Player: What about this Mummy?
 * Tarik: I don't think he likes people. However he does allow you to enter some of the rooms in the tomb. They are dangerous though.
 * Player: Bah, I laugh in the face of danger!
 * Tarik: Well, if you go into that pyramid then you'll be laughing a lot then. It's full of poisonous snakes and scarabs, and rather nasty Mummies as well. You could die in there. I managed to get into one room, but the next room was harder. My lockpicking skills weren't good enough, maybe I should have brought a lockpick.
 * The first room in the pyramid requires a thieving level of 21. Each subsequent room requires an extra 10 levels of thieving skill to enter. 
 * Tarik: There are also lots of poisonous snakes in the urns. They'll bite you if they can. You might be able to charm them if you know how. I'd bring some antipoison anyway if I were you.
 * Player: It all sounds like fun to me. So is there anything valuable in there?
 * Tarik: There are lots of artefacts, you should be able to sell them on the black market. I mean, to a legitimate trader, for some money.
 * Player: You mean Simon Templeton?
 * Tarik: Well, he's as 'legitimate' as you can get, if you can get out of this city and get to him.
 * Player: I'll find a way. Is there anything else of value in there?
 * Tarik: I have heard a rumour that there is a valuable magic sceptre in there as well.
 * Player: Ah, now you have piqued my interest. What do you know about this sceptre?
 * Tarik: Not a lot. It is apparently made of gold and covered in jewels, and used to be owned by one of Tumeken's sons.
 * Player: Tumeken?
 * Tarik: Tumeken, the sun god and head of the gods. His sons were the rulers, chosen by him to rule in his name.
 * Player: So these sons were rich and powerful then? This sceptre should be pretty good then.
 * Tarik: Hmmm. Well it is supposed to have some magical powers.
 * Player: Magical powers? This sounds good. What are they?
 * Tarik: I'll let you know when I find it!
 * Player: Not if I find it first!
 * Tarik: Hey! If you find it I deserve a share of the profits! You wouldn't have known it existed without my help.
 * Player: I'll think about it... Right, I think I'd better investigate this place.
 * Player: How did you injure yourself?
 * Player: Do you know anything about this pyramid?

Sophanem Gates

 * Player: Can I pass through this gate?
 * Priest: I cannot permit you to leave. The city is under quarantine due to the outbreak of plagues.
 * Player: I am not afflicted by any plagues, so let me pass.
 * Priest: No!

Carpenter

 * Player: Good day.
 * Carpenter: Get away from me you filthy grave robber.
 * Player: I did no such thing.
 * Carpenter: So explain why that spectre is accusing you of such a crime. The dead rarely have need for lies.

Sophanem East Gate

 * Doorman: Nobody may enter of leave Sophanem for any reason, so says the new High Priest of Icthlarin.

Embalmer

 * Embalmer: Clear off, you evil body snatcher. You won't get any of my wares.

High Priest

 * Player: Hello.
 * High Priest: I will have no dealings with those who plunder the houses of the dead. Get thee gone from my presence.

Stirring Memories

 * A sense of deja-vu swamps you as you touch the pyramid's door. Your vision begins to swim before you collapse. 


 * Before you can settle, you feel your body moving as if it were on strings. 
 * Player: I must go to the heart of the pyramid. Did I say that? Something strange is going on. Perhaps I should just go with it...for now.


 * On opening the door a healing spell is cast on you. 


 * Player: Ahh my poor head.
 * Your head feels a little clearer as you pick yourself up. 
 * Player: What in the name of Guthix is going on? Was I just dreaming there?

Burning Questions

 * [Same beginning dialogue]
 * Player: I need help.
 * Sphinx: Your cat tells me you're in a spot of bother; something to do with grave-robbing, tisk tisk. So unbecoming of a guardian of cats.
 * Player: Can you help me? Please?
 * Sphinx: Well, I have to say I enjoy a laugh at someone's expense now and again...so let's have a bit of fun.
 * Player: I don't like the sound of this.
 * Sphinx: I'll help you if you can answer a simple puzzle of mine, but...
 * Player: There's always a 'but', isn't there?
 * Sphinx: ...but if you answer incorrectly, I get to keep your cat.
 * Player: Okay, that sounds fair.
 * Sphinx: A husband and wife have six sons and each son has one sister. How many people are in the family?
 * Player: The answer's 7.
 * Player: The answer's 9.
 * Sphinx: Are you sure?
 * Player: Totally positive.
 * Sphinx: Well answered, human. I guess you get to keep your cat.
 * Player: I don't know. I don't want to risk my cat.
 * Player: The answer's12.
 * Player: The answer's 14.
 * Player: I don't know. I don't want to risk my cat.
 * Player: Now will you help me?
 * Sphinx: Now what was it with which you needed help? Oh yes, I remember; your cat mentioned something about grave-robbing.
 * Player: I didn't rob anybody's grave!
 * Sphinx: Too true, you didn't rob just anybody's tomb, you robbed the grave of the late high priest of Icthlarin.
 * Player: I didn't. Anyway, there's no proof that I did.
 * Sphinx: Really? So explain why the shade of the high priest is ranting about you to the west of here...or how about explaining why you have a burial jar in your possession?
 * Player: How did you know about the burial jar?
 * Sphinx: Simple. I can smell the rotting organs from here.
 * Player: Well, I don't know how It came into my possession. All I know is that one minute I'm entering a tunnel to get into the city and the next I wake up outside this pyramid with a cracking headache and a stinking burial jar in my bag.
 * Sphinx: Have you had any strange turns, flashbacks or out-of-body experiences recently?
 * Player: Well, as a matter of fact, yes.
 * Sphinx: Ah hah. It sounds like someone hypnotised you and forced you to carry out their bidding. I won't get any more involved with your petty human bickerings; I have my own kingdom to look after. However, I will give you one bit of advice: seek out the new high priest to the south-west of this town. He will help you.
 * Player: Are you sure? Everyone else around here seems to be too upset with me to have a proper conversation.
 * Sphinx: Here, I have a token that he will know is from me. Take that to him and I'm sure he will talk to you.
 * Player: Well, thanks for your advice, although why did you have to drag me through all that?
 * Sphinx: The trials of humans concern me not, but I do make exceptions for guardians of my kind.

Plague City

 * Player: Hello.
 * High Priest: I will have no dealings with those who plunder the houses of the dead.
 * Player: Wait! The Sphinx told me that I should talk to you.
 * High Priest: The Sphinx? Is it possible? That contrary old cat has never done anything to help us. Prove it!
 * You hand the statue to the high priest. 
 * High Priest: Hmmm. So, what do you want then.
 * Player: Well, there's this jar that's come into my possession.
 * High Priest: What, a burial jar?
 * Player: I guess so.
 * High Priest: Oh no! What am I going to do? What am I going to do? Umm, yes, I have it. Um...
 * Player: What?
 * High Priest: Um What what?
 * Player: What is wrong with you?
 * High Priest: Sorry. I'm still well...you know?
 * Player: What? Come on, spit it out.
 * High Priest: You know...new.
 * Player: What do you mean, 'new'?
 * High Priest: It's my first week on the job and already I've had an outbreak of plagues, half the population has fled the town and, to top it off, some adventurer has desecrated the tomb of the old high priest!
 * Player: Yeah, that was probably me...
 * High Priest: You did?
 * Player: Yes... Do you think I should return the jar, then?
 * High Priest: Um, yes. That would be a good idea...wouldn't it?
 * Player: So, do you have any tips about the pyramid, seeing as it was probably your priests who built it?
 * High Priest: Well, um, you could try to avoid the traps?
 * Player: Any other useful advice to go with that?
 * High Priest: Oh yes, how could I forget! The key to getting into the pyramid is to have a cat.
 * Player: Have a cat?
 * High Priest: Didn't the Sphinx tell you that cats act as guardians against The Devourer?
 * Player: She may have.
 * High Priest: So, it stands to reason that only they should be able to open the pyramid door. Ask your cat to help when you intend to enter.
 * Player: Ummm...I see. 'Ask my cat', you said. Anyway, I had better return this jar.


 * High Priest: Have you managed to return the jar yet?
 * Player: No, not yet.
 * High Priest: Can you please hurry up? The people are beginning to...erm...
 * Player: What? Question your sanity?
 * High Priest: Um...well, no, just question my authority. Don't forget that to enter the pyramid, you need a cat.


 * Player: Hello.
 * Priest: Cursed one, why have you not yet returned the burial jar of our old leader?
 * Player: I'm working on that still.
 * Priest: I wonder how someone as insignificant as you even managed to get inside the pyramid, never mind reach its heart.

Backtracking

 * Player: Hey puss! What do you reckon about that cat on the door? Do you think you can open it?
 * Cat: Meeeow.
 * The door of the temple opens and you step through.


 * Player: This place feels strangely familiar. I'm sure I've been here before.


 * Player: Oh no, what have I done? I really did steal that jar. I had better return it quickly before more harm is done.


 * Player: I should return to the high priest and tell him that I have returned the jar.
 * You hear a faint voice inside your head. 
 * Klenter: Thank you adventurer, you have given my soul some respite, I will cease to haunt you and the plague creatures will no longer seek you out.
 * Player: Wait I want to ask you a question.
 * The voice in your head doesn't reply. It must be gone. 

The Sphinx

 * Player: I need help.
 * Sphinx: How go things, great guardian of cats?
 * Player: I don't care for your mocking tone.
 * Sphinx: I have helped you enough, or at least as much as I'm willing to.
 * Player: Come on, cat; let's leave that nasty Sphinx alone.

Not Quite Yet

 * High Priest: Have you managed to return the jar yet?
 * Player: Yes, but why are you still spotty and why have only some of the plagues lifted?
 * High Priest: Ummm, ah, well... um...
 * The high priest flaps about in near complete panic. 
 * Player: Look, pull yourself together. Are you the high priest or not?
 * High Priest: I am.
 * Player: Do your people need you to lead them in this troubled time or not?
 * High Priest: By Icthlarin, they do and I will lead them.
 * Player: So then why haven't the plagues completely left?
 * High Priest: Because all the ceremonies haven't been completed yet and Klenter, the old high priest, grows weary of the mortal realm.
 * Player: What ceremonies? Why didn't you mention this before?
 * High Priest: Umm, I guess I forgot.
 * Player: You forgot? No matter. What has to be done, then?
 * High Priest: Actually, very little is left to be done. Most of the prayers have already been said but the embalmer still has a bit of work to do. I have my own preparations to make, but could you help out the town's carpenter and embalmer?
 * Player: Sure, no problem.
 * High Priest: Thank you, [Player]. You'll be handsomely rewarded for your services to Icthlarin.
 * Player: Okay, so what exactly do you want me to do, then?
 * High Priest: I need you to tell the carpenter to create a new holy symbol for the ceremony. Also, you should talk to the embalmer. I know that he's been having problems getting supplies into the town with the quarantine.
 * Player: I could for a price...


 * High Priest: Have you helped the embalmer and the carpenter to get all they need yet?
 * Player: I have plenty of things to do yet.
 * High Priest: Do hurry up, I'm being driven demented with these infernal spots.


 * Player: Hello.
 * [Jex/Priest]: Bother me not, I am in preparation for the burial ceremony. I'm sure even you can curb your trivial demands until after that.


 * Priest: You're the adventurer who's helping the High Priest, aren't you? You can pass through the gate if you wish.
 * Player: Thank you.


 * Raetul: Good afternoon.
 * Player: Is it?
 * Raetul: It's hot and sunny, which is good enough for me. So can I help you with anything?
 * Player: I've met with the town's embalmer and he mentioned that he needed a few things, linen being one of them.
 * Raetul: Ah yes, very good... very good... have I just the thing for you. That will be 30 coins please and thank you.
 * The merchant takes your money and hands you a sheet of linen before you realise that a transaction has been agreed. 
 * Player: What the.?
 * Raetul: Thank you come again.

The Embalmer

 * Embalmer: Good day to you. I won't say you're welcome into my workplace, because you're not. However, I must apologise if I was outrightly hostile towards you earlier.
 * Player: Don't worry about it...too much. We've got to work together now to put that dreadful spirit to rest.
 * Embalmer: I'll admit that I shed no tears when he passed away. He was a rather cruel and hard leader. Well, there's no point in complaining about him. I want rid of his cursed plague as soon as possible and, according to the high priest, the best way to do that is to carry out the final ceremony.
 * Player: Of course you're right. Now, can I help you with anything?
 * Embalmer: Yes, because of the quarantine I cannot leave Sophanem. You seem to have been left unaffected by it so perhaps the guards will let you out of the city.
 * Player: I think entering and leaving the city shouldn't be a problem.
 * Embalmer: Good, that's what I like to hear. Now, to carry out the ceremony, I need three things. I need some linen to wrap the corpse up with. That should be easily obtained from a cloth salesman here in the town. I also need some salt and some sap. I need the salt to preserve the body and the sap for sealing the bandages.
 * Player: Where will I get those?
 * Embalmer: Well, the salt should be easy enough to get from the salt lake, north of the city. You can get salty water from the lake with a bucket.
 * Player: How about the sap?
 * Embalmer: The sap you should be able to get easily enough from any coniferous tree.
 * Player: Coniferous?
 * Embalmer: Evergreen, cone shaped, you know the ones I'm talking about.
 * Player: But how can I get it out?
 * Embalmer: Well, you'll probably need something to cut the tree's bark and something else to collect the sap in.
 * Player: But where would I find one of those trees here in the desert?
 * Embalmer: I have no idea.


 * Embalmer: Have you got the linen I asked for?
 * You hand a sheet of linen to the embalmer. 
 * Embalmer: Have you got the salt I asked for?
 * You hand the embalmer a bag of salt. 
 * Embalmer: Have you got the sap I asked for?
 * You hand the bucket of sap to the embalmer. 
 * Embalmer: That's everything I need to get the ceremony underway. I'll send word to the high priest to get things started.
 * Player: I don't think everything's ready just yet, the carpenter still has to finish some work.
 * Embalmer: Never-the-less, I'll let the high priest know that everything's sorted from this side.

The Carpenter

 * Player: Good afternoon.
 * Carpenter: Hello, adventurer. Apologies if I was a little on the cold side earlier, but the high priest said that you're working with him and that's good enough for me.
 * Player: Thank you for your understanding. If I had been given a dose of acne, had my business ruined and my town turned upside-down by hordes of plague creatures by some outsider, I would be more than a little angry too.
 * Carpenter: So, does the high priest have any instructions for me?
 * Player: He said he needs you to craft a new holy symbol for the ceremony.
 * Carpenter: Yes. I remember he gave me some drawings a few days ago. Now what would was it to be made of again? Give me a second. Ah yes, I remember now, it was to be made of willow. Though there's a small problem with that.
 * Player: Oh, great. Here's the bit where you say you need me to get you something.
 * Carpenter: Wow, you're quick. I'm all out of willow wood and seeing as I'm unable to get any more due to the quarantine, I'm going to need some help with this.
 * Player: Why should I help?
 * Player: Alright, I'll get the wood for you.
 * Carpenter: Great.
 * Player: Now do you have any idea where I might find some willow trees around here?
 * Carpenter: Not a notion.
 * Player: Great.


 * Player: Good afternoon.
 * Carpenter: Hello, adventurer. Have you got the logs yet?
 * Player: I have some in the bank. I'd better nip off and get them then.
 * Carpenter: In your on good time, don't rush on my behalf. I'm only half crippled with these pus-filled pustules of penance.


 * Player: Good afternoon.
 * Carpenter: Hello, adventurer. Have you got the logs yet?
 * Player: Yes, I have some here for you.
 * Carpenter: That's good I'll have the symbol ready for you shortly. I'm sure you have plenty of other important things to do in the meanwhile.
 * Player: Hang on, what do you mean you'll have it ready for me shortly?
 * Carpenter: Well, last time I checked, the job description for a carpenter is to craft things out of wood, while you, being an adventurer, need to run around doing thankless tasks for people in need, and right now I need you to do this.
 * Player: Okay, I'll be back.


 * Player: Good afternoon.
 * Carpenter: Hello, adventurer.
 * Player: Is the symbol ready yet?
 * Carpenter: Just adding the finishing touches. Okay, it's finished here you go.
 * Player: Thanks, I guess.
 * Carpenter: You should get that to the high priest as soon as possible. We're all ready getting sick of these plagues.
 * Player: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
 * Carpenter: Oh, one more thing. I think that the high priest has had a particularly bad dose of these spots so he's gone off to start the ceremony already.

Setting the Stage

 * Player: I must hide the mistress's symbol somewhere in the ceremonial room so that she can enter the pyramid whenever she pleases.


 * Player: Ha! Those foolish priests will never find this here. She will be able to enter the Pyramid now at her whim. Those preposterous priests won't know what hit them. I must now return to the mistress with the jar.


 * Player: Noooo. This is ridiculous even my memory is working against me. I have to warn the priests about the Devourer. I hope I'm not too late already.

No Rest for the Weary

 * [Priests]: Hail mighty Icthlarin!
 * High Priest: Mighty Icthlarin, set Klenter's soul to rest.
 *  [Priests]: Hail mighty Icthlarin.
 * Player: Wait, wait, wait, there's something wrong!
 * High Priest: Don't interrupt adventurer.
 * Player: But the devourer, she's coming!
 * Wanderer: My thanks adventurer. You have been most helpful. I will have my soul now.
 * High Priest: You will not as long as I draw breath.
 * Wanderer: Adventurer I command you to kill these priests.
 * Player: Your spells won't work on me again now that I see you for what you are.
 * Wanderer: No matter, I will just create another minion to destroy all of you. You've already served your purpose. You priest of the dog lord, kill your brethren.
 * Priest: Yes mistress! Kill them all.
 * High Priest: Adventurer, protect us so we may finish the ceremony.
 * The Wanderer's voice echoes in your mind: Kill them all. 
 * Wanderer: Kill them all!
 * The final battle begins...
 * Possessed Priest: Grrrr.

Victory and Defeat

 * High Priest: Thank you so much, adventurer. We have defeated The Devourer; the plagues should abate now.
 * Player: Then why are you still covered in spots?
 * High Priest: What? So I am. Somehow, I don't think this is over. The Devourer will not concede defeat so easily, after all.
 * Player: So what happened? I returned the jars and we performed the final ceremony... Why will Klenter's spirit not rest now?
 * High Priest: The only explanation I can think of is that some other adventurer has repeated your mistakes and stolen a burial jar whilst we were here.
 * Player: So what do I have to do now?
 * High Priest: Nothing, nothing. You've done all you can.
 * Player: What? I can sort this; come on, tell me what to do and I'll sort it.
 * High Priest: We must find the adventurer who has carried out the this theft and get him to return the jar. Then, we will have to perform the ceremony again.
 * Player: So this cycle could repeat itself endlessly?
 * High Priest: Well, until one of the sides gives up, that is. Anyway, I have a gift for you back in town. But first, I have a few things to sort out here.
 * Player: You'd better keep this holy symbol, not that it did much good.
 * High Priest: You might be surprised to know that we wouldn't have been able to complete the ceremony without that in our presence, nor would you have been able to defeat The Wanderer's minion so easily.
 * Player: I'll hold onto my doubts. Anyway, you should take this.
 * You hand the high priest the holy symbol. 
 * Player: I still don't feel right, though, about this whole thing. There are still so many loose ends untied.
 * High Priest: What do you mean?
 * Player: Well, for one, I still don't know why I didn't complete my task for The Devourer. I have a feeling that I'll get my answers soon enough.
 * The now-familiar feeling of memories shooting to the surface of your thoughts overcomes you. 

A Few Loose Ends

 * Player: I must return the jar to the mistress.
 * Icthlarin: What's this? A mortal thieving from my domain? This will not do. I command you to halt.
 * Player: Never! The mistress will have the jar and the high priest's soul.
 * Icthlarin: This is no mere mortal in front of me. Amascut, release your hold on this human.
 * Player: Aghhhh!!! Nooo.
 * Icthlarin: Arise, spirit of Klenter, protect your soul.
 * You despairingly reach for the ladder before your vision fades out. 


 * Priest: Thank you, unbeliever; your heroic efforts have saved the day. I shudder to think of the fallout if we were to have lost another high priest so soon after the last.

The High Priest's Gratitude

 * High Priest: Ah, there you are, [Player]. I've been waiting for you. I must thank you again; your victory over The Devourer's beast was magnificent. It's only a pity that we haven't won an outright victory over her. Well, I'll just have to get used to these spots and the sour milk the cows are producing, not to mention those darned frogs outside.
 * Player: I'm sure the frog problem could be solved easily enough. A few cats could go a long way in reducing their numbers.
 * High Priest: You're right, of course. Anyway, where did I put that trinket I promised you? Ah, yes, I have it here. I'm sure you'll get a huge amount of enjoyment out of it.

Jex/Priests

 * Player: Hello.
 * [Jex/Priest]: Greetings, non-believer. May the blessings of Icthlarin rest on your tired shoulders and may they set you at ease during interesting times.

The Sphinx

 * Player: Hi!
 * Sphinx: What do you want?
 * Player: What's wrong?
 * Sphinx: Word has it that you very nearly spoiled our fun!
 * Player: What, you're upset that I tried to put the high priest's soul to rest?
 * Sphinx: So that we could get back to work again? What makes you believe that he even deserves such a burial?
 * Player: Doesn't everyone?
 * Sphinx: What, even those that gain though the blood, sweat, tears and misery of others?
 * Player: I was just trying to help and as it turns out, I've not achieved a whole lot.

Embalmer

 * Player: Hi there.
 * Embalmer: Hello.
 * Player: I can see you're a bit down. I'm sorry that the plague hasn't lifted just yet.
 * Embalmer: Well, I suppose that's only to be expected. The old high priest was a vindictive sort. He could hold a grudge forever.
 * Player: I really hope for your sake he cannot.
 * Embalmer: He might just make this city of the dead a dead city if he does carry on for much longer. Anyway, I'm rambling.

Carpenter

 * Player: Hey there, how're you holding up?
 * Carpenter: Well, I suppose things could be worse, though I really did have my hopes up I thought you could fix things up.
 * Player: I suppose that makes two of us.
 * Carpenter: Well, I've got a business to run here. I can't keep feeling sorry for myself for ever.
 * Player: Are you in need of any willow logs at the moment, or any other wood for that matter?
 * Carpenter: Sorry, no. I've recently worked out a decent supply which bypasses the grey economy.
 * Player: Grey economy?
 * Carpenter: It's selling bits and pieces through unofficial channels, avoiding taxes and import duty. Since I'm trying to keep on the good side of our esteemed rulers, I don't trade that way these days.

Raetul

 * Player: Hello.
 * Raetul: I see you have managed to mess things up again.
 * Player: Why do you say that?
 * Raetul: Well the ceremony should have been over by now, yet the plagues remain.
 * Player: Unfortunately some other hapless adventurer was tricked in the same manner as me.
 * Raetul: All you adventurers are alike!
 * Player: In what way?
 * Raetul: You're all trouble. Well I could hold it against you, but then again adventurers are my best customers and because of this quarantine my only customers. So may I interest you in any of my wares?
 * Player: What do you have?
 * Player: No thanks.

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

 * Player: You know I'm still confused about all that business with the devourer.
 * Cat: I suppose that is understandable, you did miss out on a little bit of the adventure.
 * Player: I did? I thought I had all my memories back.
 * Cat: Do you remember being hypnotised then?
 * Player: Actually, that part of my memory is still a little bitty.
 * You can feel the now familiar feeling of a flashback coming on again. 


 * Wanderer: Look into my eyes. Look deeply into my eyes. Don't blink. You will do what I say.
 * Player: I will do your bidding mistress.
 * Wanderer: You will travel to Sophanem and enter the pyramid of the priests of Icthlarin.
 * Player: Yes Mistress.
 * Wanderer: you will find a room within containing four jars take one of them and return to me.
 * Player: Yes Mistress.
 * Wanderer: Take this symbol. You know what to do with it when the time comes.
 * Player: Yes mistress.
 * Wanderer: Don't fail me, or else I'll eat your soul.
 * Player: Yes mistress.
 * Wanderer: Now go.