Thank the gods! You're no saint, I can see that. Though who am I to question what form divine providence comes in?
I am the great Alva Valai, Reliquarian extraordinaire! A seeker of mysteries, explorer of the unknown, lover of all things that glitter - and I need your help.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl; Halls lined with finery, boxes stuffed with glimmering riches and relics touched by insurmountable power! For eons lost to history... until now.
I believe the secret of its location lies in the Vaal City which, until very recently, was submerged and completely unreachable. But with all that's going on, the city has risen from the depths, and... well, it's still completely unreachable. It seems the only way to get even close is across the river, and the only crossing is overrun with bandits. I've a plan that could make both of us unbelievably wealthy, but... perhaps one day...
I believe the secret of its location lies in the Vaal City which, until very recently, was submerged and completely unreachable. It's a tale that beggars belief - some devil coated the land in darkness, but a hero banished it and raised the city from the riverbed! Then some bandits swept in, claiming invaluable artefacts and blocking the only entrance until an even mightier hero sent them packing. If they were around I'd ask them to help me achieve unfathomable wealth, but... you'll do I suppose.
When I was young, my father gave me my first call to adventure by enlisting me in the employ of Dominus' navy. I used to love the sea. The way it smelled. The freshness of the air... but, some 'stuff' happened and I returned to Theopolis, intent on living a ladies life. Ha, it was not to be, obviously.
My lust for excitement brought me to the Reliquarians - a secret society of treasure hunters, funded by those cold and greedy societal uppercrusts. I had my father pull some strings and before I knew it, I was amongst it all, raiding temples and tombs across the land. But, well... you're an exile, you know how the Templars are. Untrustworthy is one way to describe them. When I came across a manual of Vaal blood thaumaturgy, I knew I couldn't let it fall into their hands. And it never did.
Though that damned High Templar knew I was keeping something secret... And so, no longer welcome amongst the nobility, here I am. Luckily there's a fortune to be made here and a few of my old clients still remain loyal to me when it comes to spending what they have inside their purses.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl is said to be the most famed in all Vaal history and myth. Best I can tell, the Temple began its construction in the final years of the Vaal Empire. The exact date of its completion has been hard to ascertain as it occurred shortly before the events which brought about the civilisation's extinction.
Perhaps it is the fragility of the timeline that has made Atzoatl such a staple of Vaal mythology. Some say it was a place of darkness, home to the most vile of sacrifices. But there are others who claim the temple to be the birthplace of technology - even our own is said to pale in comparison to what was being forged within those walls.
Scholars today have even suggested that it was the treasure house for Queen Atziri herself. Whichever is true, it was bound to have been fiercely protected by fanatics and royalty alike. And if something's worth protecting, well, then it's worth bloody taking!
Well, most of my market no longer exists... but, I'm an adaptable type, and there are plenty of pirates, thieves, tyrants and nutters who will pay good coin for my finds.
I may just have to do a little extra legwork to find 'em.
You've found yourself a hideout! Could be a good staging ground once we've found the temple in the present-day. Let me know if you've got space for me.
Thank the gods! You're no saint, I can see that. Though who am I to question what form divine providence comes in?
I am the great Alva Valai, Reliquarian extraordinaire! A seeker of mysteries, explorer of the unknown, lover of all things that glitter - and I need your help.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl; Halls lined with finery, boxes stuffed with glimmering riches and relics touched by insurmountable power! For eons lost to history... until now.
I believe the secret of its location lies here in the Vaal City which, until very recently, was submerged and completely unreachable. It's a tale that beggars belief - some devil coated the land in darkness, but a hero banished it and raised the city from the riverbed! Then some bandits swept in, claiming invaluable artefacts and blocking the only entrance until an even mightier hero sent them packing. If they were around I'd ask them to help me achieve unfathomable wealth, but... you'll do I suppose.
When I was young, my father gave me my first call to adventure by enlisting me in the employ of Dominus' navy. I used to love the sea. The way it smelled. The freshness of the air... but, some 'stuff' happened and I returned to Theopolis, intent on living a ladies life. Ha, it was not to be, obviously.
My lust for excitement brought me to the Reliquarians - a secret society of treasure hunters, funded by those cold and greedy societal uppercrusts. I had my father pull some strings and before I knew it, I was amongst it all, raiding temples and tombs across the land. But, well... you're an exile, you know how the Templars are. Untrustworthy is one way to describe them. When I came across a manual of Vaal blood thaumaturgy, I knew I couldn't let it fall into their hands. And it never did.
Though that damned High Templar knew I was keeping something secret... And so, no longer welcome amongst the nobility, here I am. Luckily there's a fortune to be made here and a few of my old clients still remain loyal to me when it comes to spending what they have inside their purses.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl is said to be the most famed in all Vaal history and myth. Best I can tell, the Temple began its construction in the final years of the Vaal Empire. The exact date of its completion has been hard to ascertain as it occurred shortly before the events which brought about the civilisation's extinction.
Perhaps it is the fragility of the timeline that has made Atzoatl such a staple of Vaal mythology. Some say it was a place of darkness, home to the most vile of sacrifices. But there are others who claim the temple to be the birthplace of technology - even our own is said to pale in comparison to what was being forged within those walls.
Scholars today have even suggested that it was the treasure house for Queen Atziri herself. Whichever is true, it was bound to have been fiercely protected by fanatics and royalty alike. And if something's worth protecting, well, then it's worth bloody taking!
Well, most of my market no longer exists... but, I'm an adaptable type, and there are plenty of pirates, thieves, tyrants and nutters who will pay good coin for my finds.
I may just have to do a little extra legwork to find 'em.
We found the temple, but our job isn't done. Vaal corruption has tangled time and space, and there's much to be gained by delving deeper.
We could learn vast amounts by experiencing more time cycles and seeing every possible outcome! We're back where we started, but that also means we have a fresh opportunity to forge Atzoatl exactly as we please - and reap its rewards.
You've found yourself a hideout! Could be a good staging ground once we've found the temple in the present-day. Let me know if you've got space for me.
Thank the gods! You're no saint, I can see that. Though who am I to question what form divine providence comes in?
I am the great Alva Valai! Reliquarian extraordinaire, seeker of mysteries, explorer of the unknown, lover of all things that glitter - and I need your help.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl; Halls lined with finery, boxes stuffed with glimmering riches and relics touched by insurmountable power! For eons lost to history... until now.
When I was young, my father gave me my first call to adventure by enlisting me in the employ of Dominus' navy. I used to love the sea. The way it smelled. The freshness of the air... but, some 'stuff' happened and I returned to Theopolis, intent on living a ladies life. Ha, it was not to be, obviously.
My lust for excitement brought me to the Reliquarians - a secret society of treasure hunters, funded by those cold and greedy societal uppercrusts. I had my father pull some strings and before I knew it, I was amongst it all, raiding temples and tombs across the land. But, well... you're an exile, you know how the Templars are. Untrustworthy is one way to describe them. When I came across a manual of Vaal blood thaumaturgy, I knew I couldn't let it fall into their hands. And it never did.
Though that damned High Templar knew I was keeping something secret... And so, no longer welcome amongst the nobility, here I am. Luckily there's a fortune to be made here and a few of my old clients still remain loyal to me when it comes to spending what they have inside their purses.
The lost Temple of Atzoatl is said to be the most famed in all Vaal history and myth. Best I can tell, the Temple began its construction in the final years of the Vaal Empire. The exact date of its completion has been hard to ascertain as it occurred shortly before the events which brought about the civilisation's extinction.
Perhaps it is the fragility of the timeline that has made Atzoatl such a staple of Vaal mythology. Some say it was a place of darkness, home to the most vile of sacrifices. But there are others who claim the temple to be the birthplace of technology - even our own is said to pale in comparison to what was being forged within those walls.
Scholars today have even suggested that it was the treasure house for Queen Atziri herself. Whichever is true, it was bound to have been fiercely protected by fanatics and royalty alike. And if something's worth protecting, well, then it's worth bloody taking!
Well, most of my market no longer exists... but, I'm an adaptable type, and there are plenty of pirates, thieves, tyrants and nutters who will pay good coin for my finds.
I may just have to do a little extra legwork to find 'em.
Einhar would have fit into Atziri's empire quite nicely. The man's no stranger to ritual sacrifice, though thankfully he limits his bloodletting to beasts. He doesn't seem to have much of an interest in opulence, which is great news for me. As long as Einhar sticks to what he's best at, we'll get along fine.
Niko's a bit of an... oddball... yes, but if you can put up with his quirks, he's not without his uses. The mine he so passionately guards is simply filled to the brim with glittering goodies. I've been trying to cozy up to him in the hopes that when he hits the motherlode, I'll be right there next to him.
I've never met anyone as protective of their creations as Zana. It's not like her astrolabe thing can send us back in time... wait, can it? What does that thing do, anyway? I've seen the places it takes her. Some of them are truly horrifying! They make the Vaal look tame as kittens. Not Zana though... she's a lion with a kitten's face.
I'm trying to stay on Jun's good side. She's not aggressive or anything - not to me anyway - but I've seen her polishing daggers, staring off into the distance. That's a look I recognise from my days around some less-than-reputable treasure-hunters. A killer's look. She's out for someone's blood.
What a lovely woman she is. Had a few run-ins with her back in Oriath but I don't think she remembers... probably best, since I was hawking some forged heirlooms at the time, and she's got a knack for spotting forgeries. Now that I'm running an above-board operation - more or less - I'm looking forward to getting to know her.
So Jun's people snuck about history stashing powerful artefacts, did they? Do you happen to know if any such artefacts were stashed in the Temple of Atzoatl at any point... no? Fine. Just a thought.
I've found a way to blaze a trail to the legendary temple of Atzoatl. A spell cast upon these ancient waystones, triggered by the blood of the Vaal. I've got some in me, you see. This spell will take you into days past. Once there, keep the portal open by slitting a few deserving throats. The longer you stay, the more I learn about the location of the present day temple.
Once we find it, we'll have all the time in the world to collect its many treasures. That's why we need to find the temple in the here and now. Be careful what you do while you're there, however. Any move you make ripples through time, changing things in this day and age. Well, what are you waiting for? ...Go make history!
Listen, these blood spells are fickle things. They must be performed under certain conditions - days of the week, stars aligned... that sort of thing. I'll scout out a new location to perform the next ritual. Find me and we'll continue our venture!
I knew you'd find me. You and I, we're two coins in the same purse. Your last foray got us a little closer to finding the temple, but we have a ways to go. Hope you're ready for another!
Look familiar? This is the temple as you left it last time. Every new Incursion changes this map of mine. With enough under our belt, perhaps the Temple's current location will be revealed!
Ah there you are. Ready to revisit the past? The more you kill, the more you change my map, and the closer we get to finding the Temple in the present day.
The location of the Temple is now clear. Make sure you've got enough supplies. Let me know when you're ready, and we can go. I'll open another portal to get us there.
I did it! I mean, we did it. The location of the Temple is now clear! Remember to watch your step, exile. We may have helped build this layout, but a lot can change in two thousand years. There's no telling what kind of things have taken up residence in those ruins...
You've paved the way for a heavily armoured defensive force to take up residence. I'm not exactly sure why you'd want that, but maybe we can sell the armour for scrap.
Great, Zilquapa's madness has given eldritch... things... ingress to the temple. Was that your intention, or should I applaud you for your foolhardiness?
You've gone and let the Architect of Fortifications take that chamber. You know what fortifications are, don't you? We're literally planning on raiding that temple.
Tzamoto had a twisted sense of justice. Executions were saved for the particularly brutal crimes... He'd just imprison lower criminals for the rest of their lives.
Tzamoto's prison is enormous and brimming with criminals. Notoriously poor criminals. Wonderful. Thanks for that, Exile.
UITalk 95
Opiloti took that room? He was a brutally violent warlord. I hope you know what you're doing, for my sake!
UITalk 96
The Vaal were considered peaceful by today's standards, but there were still people who took joy in violence. And you just gave one of those people exactly what he wanted.
UITalk 97
Opiloti used to spill the blood of his greatest warriors. He believed it would grant them immortality. I guess we'll soon see if he was right!
I've found a way to blaze a trail to the legendary Temple of Atzoatl. A spell cast upon these ancient waystones, triggered by the blood of the Vaal. I've got some in me, you see. This spell will take you into days past. Once there, keep the portal open by slitting a few deserving throats. The longer you stay, the more I learn about the location of the present day temple.
Once we find it, we'll have all the time in the world to collect its many treasures. That's why we need to find the temple in the here and now. Be careful what you do while you're there, however. Any move you make ripples through time, changing things in this day and age. Well, what are you waiting for? Go make history!
I've not spoken to Navali about it yet, but I have to wonder how our little forays into the past affect her visions of the future. I also wonder why she isn't using that little power of hers to make us all unbelievably wealthy. Imagine all the Grand Arena matches we could bet on! I'd much rather watch some disemboweling than do the disemboweling myself, if it's all the same to her. I guess, when you really think about it, all that Vaal blood is on her conscience!