CHAPTER 25: A NEW HOPE IN NEW CANAAN
In this chapter, you become a member of the ex-slave rebels of New Canaan and perform a couple of tasks that are aimed at the return of the True Gods and the fall of the imperial town of Ylsasnorh. Will you be able to do it all before the God-Emperor of the Province of the Sword Lands takes notice and decides to crush you and your rebel friends, once and for all?
[Note #1: as already mentioned, there is a chance that you will begin WoML from this chapter (instead of Chapter 23) if you played WiSL alone, or both TiSL and WiSL, previously. If this happens, then you begin right inside New Canaan (at x8y75) having already escaped from the mines and made the harrowing journey to find the ex-slave rebels. However, you will have yet to have a dream (but you should have one at least once after you get started); likewise, your equipment will be stripped and your spell casting abilities will be turned off (see Chapter 23) - except in the case here once you do get a dream, then your spell casting abilities will return! Other than that, things follow the same path as if you'd started from Chapter 23.]
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Key
to New Canaan:
x5y76 - Main gates.
x16y72 - Rear gates (leading to farming fields)
x10y66 - Temple (non-functional until the Holy
Book is brought back - see below).
x8y76 - Your new home.
x13y73 - Commisary.
x13y69 - House of Anthraxus Wildstorm (rebel leader).
- once
inside New Cannan, you will be welcomed by Riel
Half-Elven and Starina
Tearmoon, two members of the rebels and great
NPC's to have along (of course, if you played at least WiSL
already, you know well that Riel Half-Elven was once known as
Riel Moonsong, in another time and/or place - but we are getting
ahead of ourselves here ...). After a few introductory remarks
about New Canaan, Riel and Starina take you to meet their leader.
As you arrive before his house (see key above), simply enter.
- inside the house, walk over to the man at x7y9: smiling warmly,
he introduces himself as Anthraxus Wildstorm.
If you played at least WiSL, you will get an unsettling vision
concerning Anthraxus (i.e. of course, we all know him as the
infamous Anthraxus Storm, dreaded Warlord of Sharranth - but
again, we are getting ahead of ourselves here ...). In any case,
the noble rebel leader chit-chats a bit, before enjoining you to
take a good rest in your new home (actually, sharing Riel's and
Starina's hut - see key above) and then to equip yourselves in
the camp's commissary (see key above) if you need, before
returning to see him.
- go to your hut and rest a bit until the next morning. Then go
to the commissary and grab whathever catches your fancy, before
returning to Anthraxus' house.
- the rebel leader greets you again and gets right down to
business, introducing at the same time his good friend and
advisor, the lankharhan Oberon
(standing next to him at x6y9). Anthraxus explains that all
non-psionics, as well as those gifted with psionics, are in
danger as long as the Mentarchs remain in power. He tells of how
the Mind Lords (since their return -or second rising- of some 640
years ago) have managed to delude the world that the True Gods
were dead, having managed to erase knowledge of magic and faith
in order to leave psionics as the sole type of power. However, in
the last few centuries, this knowledge was slowly rediscovered by
a few, mainly thanks to visions sent by the True Gods. This also
happened in New Canaan, who started as a simple camp of fugitive
ex-slaves but now has quite grown in population. However, being
so close to Ylsasnorh, and with more and more of the rebels
rediscovering priestly and wizardly magics, New Canaan stands to
become too conspicuous to the God-Emperors' special senses - and
thus stands to be discovered. But there is a way: the True Gods
have sent auguries that speak of a Holy Book
which can protect New Canaan from the scrying powers of the
Mentarchs. This book is said to lie somewhere in the Cave
of Wailing Winds (see key in Chapter 24): your
mission is therefore to retrieve the book. After giving you a map
to the cave's location (far to the east of New Canaan - at
x72y66), and warning you to stay clear of Ylsasnorh and the
imperials, you are set to go!
- once you reach the Cave, walk east to a secret door at x75y66:
it will lead you to a series of underground caves and corridors. Here
is the key:
x1y57 - Exit to surface.
x81y63 - Location of the Key Guardian.
x73y44 - Access way to the Lost Temple.
x84y44 - Location of the Lost Temple.
x75y41 - Access way to the ant colony.
[Note #2: the ant colony, as well as the areas of megaloropers, spiders and mushmen are not related to the main plot.]
Feature #1: throughout this underground cave system, you will stumble upon many skeletons. Seach them as they may reveal interesting surprises and/or goodies!
- once
underground, head straight to the cave of the Key
Guardian (x81y63). You need to defeat him in
order to acquire his Portal Key.
- from there, head to the access way to the Lost
Temple with search on (x73y44): you need first
to hack at the wall of rock in front of you (mining picks are the
best for that). This will reveal a portal: you need the
Guardian's Portal Key to open it and pass through.
- then head to the Lost Temple and enter it: you will find
yourselves in another place altogether!
- walk to the front of the bas-relief
in the center of the large hall you find yourselves in and it
will speak to you, offering you a test made of riddles in order
to finally meet the temple's oracle face to face (and maybe get
the Holy Book of Powers as well). The answer to the first riddle
is: time. This opens up
something to your right.
- take the stairs revealed and walk to the next bas-relief that
you see. The answer to its second riddle is: paradox.
A wall slides to the right and ahead of you.
- take the stairs that are now accessible. You eventually end up
facing a veritable wall of fire. To get rid of this hot thing,
click on the encounter button and get rid of your thirst
(provided that you have a waterskin). The fire goes away, giving
you access to another bas-relief. Walk up to it for a third
riddle. The answer is: loop.
[Note #3: for each of these three riddles, giving the wrong answer will give you access to another way - once you get there, you will be given the correct answer (albeit cryptically) and will have to face a challenge before being allowed to return to the true path and onto the next riddle.]
- you finally end up in a room with wall-to-wall of mirrors and a sarcophagus in its center. You now hear the oracle of this lost temple, offering a fourth and final riddle. The answer constitutes the sum of the previous three riddles, as applicable to any reality: thus, time + paradox + loop = alternate.
[Note #4: if you fail this fourth riddle, you will be returned outside of the lost temple and will have to go through it all over again.]
- you are
then given access to a room beyond the sarcophagus. Once you
enter it, the Oracle of the Temple of Infinity
reveals himself and speaks to you. He hints at the fact that the
current reality you live in is an alternate that should not exist
(if you have yet to have a dream, as mentioned in Chapter 23, he
will offer you a similar vision instead, which incidentally will
also reawaken dormant spell casting abilities if you had them to
begin with!). He also mentions that you are chosen by the Gods,
destined to change this false reality. The Oracle also bids you
cryptically to "trust those that are not touched by the
Hourglass". He then leaves, allowing you to partake of the
contents of the chest at x16y77. Take the Book of Powers and you
will be thereafter whisked away.
- as you return outside of the lost temple of Infinity, the whole
structure will vanish into thin air, as if it never existed.
Return to the surface to bring back the book to Anthraxus
Wildstorm.
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- the
rebel leader will greet you with elation, proclaiming that you
must be the Destined (or Chosen Ones) the prophecies speak of,
since you managed to bring back the Book of Powers. You notice
that Oberon eyes you with some skepticism. Excited at the thought
of having the Destined at his side and the Book, Anthraxus now
feels confident that the time may have come for the rebels to be
more proactive against the Imperials and the God-Emperors. Oberon
calls for caution and patience, counseling for careful and
meticulous planning before attempting to go directly against the
Mentarchs. Anthraxus agrees and enjoins you to take a well
deserved rest while he thinks things through, along with Oberon
and his other aides.
- return to your hut in order to rest and heal.
- then go to the temple of New Canaan: it will now be fully
functional, thanks to you for bringing back the Book of Powers.
- when you return to see the rebel leader, he hashes out his
plan: in order to start making a difference, they must first move
against Uther Maddrix, the
God-Emperor of the Province of the Sword Lands. However, much
strategic intelligence is required and thus you are sent to meet
with Selina Vack, a resident
of Ylsasnorh and sympathizer-ally of the rebels. He gives you a
map to the location of her house, telling you to knock on her
door in the evening or during the night; the password she'll ask
of you is psion. With
Anthraxus' blessings, you are off to Ylsasnorh.
[Note #5: the problem with this plan is that a curfew is in effect in Ylsasnorh, by order of Uther Maddrix himself. In other words, all gates except the Outer ones (i.e. Front, Rear and South gates - see key below) are locked shut between 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM. Thus, in order to avoid trouble while managing to contact Selina, you will need to use guile and stealth (see below).]
[Note #6: as you treck to Ylsasnorh, be wary of imperial patrols and/or anything potentially suspicious.]
[Note #7: the best and least troublesome way to enter the imperial town is through its Outer gates (see key below).]
[Note #8: do not, we repeat do not, enter any public building in Ylsasnorh - otherwise, you will be found out as non-psionics (and thus slave fugitives and rebels!). The price to pay for being a fugitive slave or a rebel is a slow, excrutiating public torture and execution.]
Key
to Ylsasnorh:
x21y19 - Outer gates.
x25y24 - Cemetary.
x29y23 - Ylsasnorh Trade Station.
x33y21 - Front gates.
x53y20 - Rear gates.
x48y31 - South gates.
x35y20 - Central Market.
x37y20 - The Golden Tap tavern.
x52y21; x49y30; x23y20 - Stone watchtowers.
x48y22 - Inner gates.
x36y22; x40y22; x44y22; x43y27; x43y29 - Private domains of
Imperial Masters.
x49y23; x49y26 - Gates of Imperial administration buildings.
x52y29 - Selina Vack's house.
- head out
to the Outer gates of Ylsasnorh. Make sure that the time of the
day is between 8:01 AM and much earlier than 7:59 PM. Make your
way through the town until you reach Selina's house. Next to her
house, risk camping - you'll manage to hide yourself from prying
eyes as you nestle between houses.
- wait until around 11 PM and knock on Selina's door. Give her
the password and enter.
- inside her house, walk up to her (she stands at x65y85).
Although she seems calm and reserved, her eyes appear intensely
agitated. As you convey to her Anthraxus' new orders, numerous
imperials appear out of nowhere: they've known for a while of
Selina's treachery and simply observed her until new contacts
would arrive from New Canaan. They want to capture you and force
you to give them the location of the rebel camp. Selina whispers
that she tried to warn you, but - instead, now she joins you to
fight the imperials.
- once the clash is over, Selina urges you to return with haste
to New Canaan and warn the rebels that their discovery is
imminent. Without further due, you manage to rush out of town
(landing at x17y28). From there, return to New Canaan as soon as
you can.
- as you cross the gates of New Canaan, thunder and lightning
strikes loud as the projected image of Uther Maddrix floats in
the skies above the rebel camp. It looks like New Canaan has been
found indeed: as numerous imperial troops materialize about the
place, the war of New Canaan is on!
[Note #9: this battle, and other subsequent ones if they happen (see below), is a b-i-g-g-i-e!!! You have been warned.]
- either
during the battles or in between, Oberon will come forth and cast
a mighty spell that will freeze everything except you and him (it
is some sort of time-stop spell). He mumbles about things rushing
too fast, but that he has no choice now. With a warm smile, he
weaves another spell and transport you and himself to a place
altogether different and far removed!
Onward to Chapter 26!
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