Elder Noktukari
Leave Noktukari be!
Alright, I will go.
Noktukari senses you walk with great purpose.{^n}{^n}You carry something for which death is a mere inconvenience. Can Noktukari see it?
You know of Scorv?
Yes, it is a pawn of the great hunger, a vile creature that preys upon the vulnerable.{^n}{^n}Noktukari will perform a binding that should see him wander the veil before he can find his way back to Asterkarn. An imperfect solution, but the best Noktukari can do for such a slippery creature.{^n}{^n}You handled this distasteful task with no hesitation. Can Noktukari trouble you further?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Just a moment.
Noktukari senses you walk with great purpose, but you are missing something, yes?{^n}{^n}You have vanquished a great foe, but you have left their essence to return to the roots!
You know of Scorv?
Yes, it is a pawn of the great hunger, a vile creature that preys upon the vulnerable.{^n}{^n}Noktukari wishes it banished.
I will return with his essence.
You're right. I will return with it.
Noktukari is disappointed that you chose to spare the ravenous pawn, but perhaps you see wisdom in this that Noktukari does not.{^n}{^n}Let us move past this fleeting moment.
I'm sorry, but he and I have matters to settle.
If you could not deal with the Ravager spawn for Noktukari, then perhaps you will find other undertakings more palpable?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Perhaps later.
The roots no longer speak of Scorv.{^n}{^n}Is it done?
I have his essence here.
Good, good. Noktukari will perform a binding that should see him wander the veil before he can find his way back to Asterkarn. An imperfect solution, but the best Noktukari can do for such a slippery creature.{^n}{^n}You handled this distasteful task with no hesitation. Can Noktukari trouble you further?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
I need to go.
Just a moment.
The creature Scorv must not be allowed to spread his lies.{^n}{^n}Noktukari does not ask this lightly.
Where is Scorv?
The roots whisper of Scorv's return to the western Ulo's Springs, but the exact location is unknown to us.{^n}{^n}He hides somewhere, no doubt, out of sight of Kurn patrols.
I will find him.

Farewell.
You return. Noktukari breathes with relief.{^n}{^n}You have purged great evil from Cairn.
It had to be done.
Yes, yes...an unfair burden upon those willing to do what others say is impossible.{^n}{^n}It is too late for Noktukari, but you may yet leave your mark.
What else can I do?
Another time, Noktukari.
I'll be right back.
Bring hope to Noktukari. See this through.
Where do I need to go?
The Steps of Torment echo with the sins of the past. Their entrance lies within the Broken Hills, in Old Arkovia.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
Like the tears within the Dread Wastes, the Bastion of Chaos is another grievous wound upon mother Cairn. This injury may never fully heal, but it can still be cleansed of infection.{^n}{^n}Find this bastion near the northern edge of the Necropolis.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
Port Valbury lies to the north of the Erulan settlement you call Homestead, beyond the fields of aetherfire.{^n}{^n}You must put a stop to the Aetherial taint within.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
The Wolf god's domain lies in eastern Ugdenbog.{^n}{^n}The Ancient Grove is a reflection of mother Cairn, and it has fallen gravely ill.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
The worshippers to the Nothing were sealed away in the Korvan Basin to the east, in the Tomb of the Heretic.{^n}{^n}The Nothing will consume all if permitted. You must put a stop to it while you still can.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
Great evils rise all across Cairn. The more of these leaders, bosses, and commanders you extinguish, the better.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
Erulan is teeming with the Aetherials, but their Vanguard dwells within Malmouth.{^n}{^n}Wipe out as many of them as you can.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
No place is safe from the minions of the Great Annihilator. In Erulan, you will find them in greatest numbers within the heart of the Necropolis and the Blood Grove. But you need not go that far.{^n}{^n}The Dread Wastes to the west are home to the Bloodbound and the tears from which pour countless fiends.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
The Eldritch are abominations!{^n}{^n}The Korvan Basin far to the east is where they congregate while eagerly awaiting the return of their forgotten god.{^n}{^n}But Noktukari knows his return is not written in the stars. Not like the Great Annihilator he once opposed.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
The Dranghouls of Drang'Gal Fortress are just to the north, beyond the glacial wall.{^n}{^n}While they were once allies, their souls are now forfeit. Noktukari sees no hope for them.
I will take care of it.
Where do I need to go?
The Burning Depths have opened in the northern reaches of the Dread Wastes. It pains Noktukari that Cairn cries out in such a manner.{^n}{^n}Extinguish the anguish blazing within, for the good of us all.
I will take care of it.
I will get on it.
You are a great friend to Cairn. It may all come too late, but we played the part that was set for us.{^n}{^n}Noktukari is pleased the stars led us down the path of meeting.
Is there anything else I could do to help?
Is there anything else I could do to help?

As am I, Noktukari.
Farewell, Noktukari.
You return to Noktukari, and not a moment too late.{^n}{^n}Noktukari has need of your reach.
What can I do to help?
What can I do to help?

Farewell, Noktukari.
Come, come!{^n}{^n}Your presence stirs hope in these old bones. Become Noktukari's agent of change once more!
Where can I do the most good?
In the dying lands of Old Arkovia, the former enemies of the Kurn remain undying. It is not a fate Noktukari would wish upon even our greatest foes.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then we urge you to seek out the lair of suffering known as the Steps of Torment.{^n}{^n}Cleanse it of evil, and the world will be one step closer to redemption.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The void penetrates the physical if given chance. The Necropolis was already site to the catastrophic arrival of the Great Annihilator's voice. Noktukari dreads to think what would happen if the rift widens.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then head to the Necropolis and banish the great evils that rule over this Bastion of Chaos to give Cairn a fighting chance.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The Glorious Dawn has taken its toll upon your homeland, but it will not end there.{^n}{^n}The pawns of the makers now work to undo their creations. You must stop them. Travel to Port Valbury and purge the city of the malformed!
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
When sickness takes hold, the body boils with fever. So too the Ancient Grove boils as corruption festers.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then enter the Wolf god's grove within Ugdenbog. Tear out the weeds of corruption threatening to choke the heart of Cairn.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
Damned are the worshippers of the dying god, but even they pale in comparison to the sins of those that usher in the Nothing.{^n}{^n}Even if Asterkarn is restored, it will all be for nothing if those trapped within the Tomb of the Heretic are set free.{^n}{^n}Travel to the Korvan Basin far to the east and unveil the hidden tomb. Banish the darkness within before it steals our final breath.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The very land of Cairn is sick. Evil rises and takes multitude of forms. It is no longer enough to stop one.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then we urge you to seek out powerful fiends across Cairn and crush them before they can cause further harm.{^n}{^n}These are the forces that drive the world towards its imminent doom!
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
You know of the Makers' pawns. They are many and we are few, but if Cairn is to survive this calamity, they must all be purged.{^n}{^n}Return to the fallen Erulan empire and eradicate the Aetherials and their Vanguard that are infesting your home.{^n}{^n}The Aetherials brought about the end times. You will bring an end to them!
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The Great Annihilator's minions pouring from the world's wounds cannot be counted. Their very presence warps the land and disrupts the balance.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then you must extinguish as many Chthonians and their Bloodbound servants as you can.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The aberrant Eldritch swarm the Korvan Basin far to the east. They are an affront to the natural order and have no place in Cairn.{^n}{^n}Restore the balance as the Hranaak once did. Remove them from the mortal plane.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The Dranghouls of Asterkarn are at a crossroads. Some remain loyal to the old ways, but many have turned to the tendrils for strength.{^n}{^n}If you wish to right the wrongs of the past, then enter Drang'Gal Fortress. Though the Dranghouls there were once allies to the Kurn, these are now beyond redemption. Wipe them out.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
The spirit of Cairn blazes as her enemies flourish. This fiery cataclysm is not the cleansing she requires.{^n}{^n}A fiery maw has opened within the earth on the northern end of the Dread Wastes. You must enter these Burning Depths and extinguish these flames before they cause irreparable harm.
I will do this for you.
Sorry, not right now.
May I ask something instead?
Farewell, Noktukari.
Come, come!{^n}{^n}Your presence stirs hope in these old bones. Become Noktukari's agent of change once more!

May I ask something instead?
Farewell, Noktukari.
You handled the vile creature Scorv with no hesitation. Can Noktukari trouble you further?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
May I ask something instead?
Perhaps later.
Little raven, come, come.{^n}{^n}The spirits of the land cry out to us. Bring hope where there is none. You must help!
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
May I ask something instead?
Perhaps later.
Come and listen close.{^n}{^n}Can you hear them? The spirits of this land cry out in anguish and must not be ignored. We can and must help.
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
May I ask something instead?
Perhaps later.
Scorv's name leaves a rotten taste upon the tongue.{^n}{^n}His banishment was an unpleasant, but necessary duty. But can Noktukari trouble you further?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
May I ask something instead?
Not right now.
Ah, come closer, little raven.{^n}{^n}Noktukari wishes to speak of the past, if you would listen.
What is it?
You are familiar with the ravenous spirit, the Ravager? Yes?{^n}{^n}It is as natural as the wind and the seas, or death's caress. Its existence is inevitable and necessary, but those that act in service to the Ravager do not hold such a precarious position in the natural order. They scheme in their master's stead and unravel the balance of the world.{^n}{^n}There is one such creature who stands above the rest, the one they call Scorv. Centuries ago, he acted upon the whims of the Ravager and turned many Kurn through the curse of the wendigo. He was eventually banished, but such a being does not stay absent for long.{^n}{^n}I have felt it in the roots, Scorv has returned and is once more preying upon the vulnerable. The valley is reeling from Beronath's escape, another old wound must not also be allowed to split open and fester anew.
I have met this Scorv before.
Then you know the danger he poses. The influence of the wendigo cannot take root in Asterkarn.{^n}{^n}Even now, Scorv spreads his vile dogma to all who would listen from somewhere in the western reaches of Ulo's Springs. The roots whisper of his return, but the exact place is lost to us. He is likely hiding so that Kurnhold's patrols do not catch wind.{^n}{^n}Find Scorv and end him. Bring his essence to Noktukari as proof of this necessary deed.
I will deal with Scorv...again.
I'm not sure I want to cross paths with Scorv again.
I've already dealt with Scorv.

I'd rather ask some questions.
Another time, Noktukari.
Ah, our friend returns to us.{^n}{^n}Noktukari wishes to speak of the past, if you would listen.
What is it?
You are familiar with the ravenous spirit, the Ravager? Yes?{^n}{^n}It is as natural as the wind and the seas, or death's caress. Its existence is inevitable and necessary, but those that act in service to the Ravager do not hold such a precarious position in the natural order. They scheme in their master's stead and unravel the balance of the world.{^n}{^n}There is one such creature who stands above the rest, the one they call Scorv. Centuries ago, he acted upon the whims of the Ravager and turned many Kurn through the curse of the wendigo. He was eventually banished, but such a being does not stay absent for long.{^n}{^n}I have felt it in the roots, Scorv has returned and is once more preying upon the vulnerable. The valley is reeling from Beronath's escape, another old wound must not also be allowed to split open and fester anew.
I have met this Scorv before.
Then you know the danger he poses. The influence of the wendigo cannot take root in Asterkarn.{^n}{^n}Even now, Scorv spreads his vile dogma to all who would listen from somewhere in the western reaches of Ulo's Springs. The roots whisper of his return, but the exact place is lost to us. He is likely hiding so that Kurnhold's patrols do not catch wind.{^n}{^n}Find Scorv and end him. Bring his essence to Noktukari as proof of this necessary deed.
I will deal with Scorv...again.
I'm not sure I want to cross paths with Scorv again.
I've already dealt with Scorv.
Strange that the roots still speak of this, yet here it is, the essence!{^n}{^n}Noktukari will perform a binding that should see him wander the veil for centuries more before he can find his way back to Asterkarn. An imperfect solution, but the best Noktukari can do for such a slippery creature.{^n}{^n}You handled this distasteful task with no hesitation. Can Noktukari trouble you further?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Sure. What did you have in mind?
I need to go.
I'd rather ask some questions.
Another time, Noktukari.
Come, come, little raven.{^n}{^n}Let us speak.

Another time.
Ohhh, you bear the visage of the wise raven.{^n}{^n}The Hranaak granted this knowledge to the Kurn, generations ago. It brightens Noktukari's day to see the ancient traditions still hold.
This is a Hranaak technique?
We Hranaak have imparted many wisdoms upon the ancient Kurn.{^n}{^n}Some long forgotten. Others, it appears, still carry on.{^n}{^n}This is a bright moment in a dimming world.

Farewell.

Farewell.
Noktukari likes you, human.

Farewell.
Ohhh, you bear the visage of the wise raven.{^n}{^n}The Hranaak granted this knowledge to the Kurn, generations ago. It brightens Noktukari's day to see the ancient traditions still hold.{^n}{^n}You must be a good soul to be gifted with this form.
This is a Hranaak technique?
We Hranaak have imparted many wisdoms upon the ancient Kurn.{^n}{^n}Some long forgotten. Others, it appears, still carry on.{^n}{^n}This is a bright moment in a dimming world.

Farewell.

Farewell.
Young Kurn sometimes stumble upon Noktukari, but most have skulls thick as glacier or hearts dark with void rot. They bore us.{^n}{^n}But you are different. You may stay.
May I ask you something?
Hmm?{^n}{^n}Noktukari knows many things. Not all for human ears.{^n}{^n}Ask, and Noktukari will ponder your query.
What is that glowing orb?
A relic of Hranaakian craft. The art is lost to the Kurn, but Noktukari has kept it maintained.{^n}{^n}You may make use of it to forge new tools of war, if that is the path you choose. Hranaak understand. Destruction is sometimes a necessary part of creation. Sometimes war is necessary to bring balance.
May I ask something else?
That was all. Thank you.
You had mentioned the Kaw'Hranaak. Who are they?
They are deceivers, their minds lost. Few now live that remember what was lost, but the Kaw'Hranaak seek only to destroy what remains. Hranaak were created to help guide and maintain the balance of creation before the Makers departed. The Kaw'Hranaak are those of who have become deluded and bitter over the ages; watching the spread of humans across the lands.{^n}{^n}They turned to Ch'thon in misguided hope of gaining the one human power which eludes us: the ability to create more of our number. To multiply. They believe only the return of the elder one can bring true balance and restore the Hranaak to greatness.{^n}{^n}They are wrong. The time of the Hranaak is finished. The Great Annihilator will bring ruin when it wakes. So it was written in the stars, and so it shall be.
May I ask something else?
They must be wiped out.
That was all. Thank you.
I met another of your kind, but he served the void.
Hmm yes, a Kaw'Hranaak. You witnessed a deceiver. Their minds are lost. Hranaak were created to help guide and maintain the balance of creation before the Makers departed. The Kaw'Hranaak are those of who have become deluded and bitter over the ages; watching the spread of humans across the lands.{^n}{^n}They turned to Ch'thon in misguided hope of gaining the one human power which eludes us: the ability to create more of our number. To multiply. They believe only the return of the elder one can bring true balance and restore the Hranaak to greatness.{^n}{^n}They are wrong. The time of the Hranaak is finished. The Great Annihilator will bring ruin when it wakes. So it was written in the stars, and so it shall be.
The elder one? Ch'thon?

They must be wiped out.
That was all. Thank you.
Can you tell me more about the Hranaak?
There is little you need to know. Hranaak are relic of another age. Our time fades and we will be forgotten. This is the way of all things.{^n}{^n}Hranaak were once but birds during the dawn of the world. A being high among the Makers, of the name Echtalavox, gifted us with intelligence and changed our form to what you now see. It is both gift and curse. It was not the weave of the gods and Echtalavox was punished. We know not what became of them. Hranaak were to be unmade but a god intervened on our stead. We were allowed to remain as we are but the blood of creation was taken from us, so that more Hranaak can never be.{^n}{^n}In exchange, we were given very long life and tasked to maintain the natural order. We have sworn by this purpose since the elder days, across countless generations of Kurn.{^n}{^n}Hranaak are long lived but not immortal. Many of our kind died in the war between the gods. Others have fallen to disease, violence or the malaise that takes those who have lived too long and forgotten purpose. By the time the peoples called Kurn moved into this valley, there were not many Hranaak left. We chose to nurture their curiosity. We taught humans the runes and guided them to thrive alongside nature's bounty.{^n}{^n}Alas, while the humans thirsted for knowledge, they also hungered for power. We watched as the Kurn found ways to turn our gifts into weapons and make war upon other peoples. As the Kurn grew, they became fractured, splitting off into different tribes, growing apart, until they no longer saw one another as close kin. Soon wars broke out between Kurn tribes. Hranaak watched this tale unfold time and again until some became so disgusted, they disavowed humankind altogether.{^n}{^n}Hranaak withdrew further from the world. If humans are set to destroy themselves and Cairn, what can tired old Hranaak do? Eventually young must have independence to succeed or fail on their own. It is not for Hranaak to govern the lives of humans. Our time is coming to an end. What is to be, will be.{^n}{^n}Other Hranaak though felt that the gods had turned their backs on the world. Why should Hranaak have to fade away while greedy, ignorant humans multiply and spread destruction? These maligned thoughts made them susceptible to the same whispers that instill madness in the minds of men. The dark promises of Ch'thon.
Who are the Kaw'Hranaak?
They are deceivers, their minds lost. Few now live that remember what was lost, but the Kaw'Hranaak seek only to destroy what remains. Hranaak were created to help guide and maintain the balance of creation before the Makers departed. The Kaw'Hranaak are those of who have become deluded and bitter over the ages; watching the spread of humans across the lands.{^n}{^n}They turned to Ch'thon in misguided hope of gaining the one human power which eludes us: the ability to create more of our number. To multiply. They believe only the return of the elder one can bring true balance and restore the Hranaak to greatness.{^n}{^n}They are wrong. The time of the Hranaak is finished. The Great Annihilator will bring ruin when it wakes. So it was written in the stars, and so it shall be.
May I ask something else?
They must be wiped out.
That was all. Thank you.
May I ask something else?
That was all. Thank you.
Can you tell me about Beronath?
Hmm, the great beast appeared in the wilds of Asterkarn shortly after the war of the gods and has made its home here ever since. Hranaak know not from whence it came. Perhaps a lesser titan created to serve in the war, a scion of Mogdrogen? We cannot say. Perhaps from somewhere else altogether.{^n}{^n}It is a being of immense power though and the Kurn honor it as though it were a god. An aura surrounds the beast and exerts influence upon living things and the land itself. In its natural state, this power is benign, helping to provide warmth and abundance to the wilds of Asterkarn. You can see then, how the Bloodbound wield a terrible power through the corrupted beast, which now poisons the very land it once enriched.{^n}{^n}Beronath fell victim to the madness of Ch'thon when it joined the Kurn in their war against the Erulan invaders. Yet the wound that caused this terrible corruption came not from Erulan sorcery or their siege craft. It came from within. Treacherous Kurn masquerading as shamans of the old ways poisoned the heart of their people and invited the void in their midst. The vile taint seeped into Beronath's wounds and drove out its gentle nobility. Beronath was taken by the madness and became an agent of the void.{^n}{^n}The few of us that survived bound the beast so that it would bring no further harm to the valley, or so we hoped.
May I ask something else?
A sad tale. Thank you for sharing it.
What can you tell me about Ch'thon?
The stars were young when the elder one's progeny stole his mantle and crowned themselves masters of creation.{^n}{^n}Discarded into the writhing void, the progenitor could neither live nor die, only feel the infinite anguish of countless mortals given life with his divine blood.{^n}{^n}With his true name lost to the eons, the dying god has become that which dwells below creation: Ch'thon.{^n}{^n}Over millennia, Ch'thon writhed in the darkness, seeking to reclaim what was stolen. The things that walk in the shadows answered his laments and now exist only to awaken their god, the destroyer...the Great Annihilator.{^n}{^n}When Ch'thon stirs from the void, he will bring untold destruction upon creation, and frightful vengeance upon his children and those that serve them.
May I ask something else?
That is...horrifying.
That was all. Thank you.
Does this form remind you of anything?
Ohhh, you bear the visage of the wise raven.{^n}{^n}The Hranaak granted this knowledge to the Kurn, generations ago.{^n}{^n}It brightens Noktukari's day to see the ancient traditions still hold and that you carry their spark.

Fascinating.
Actually, nevermind.
Farewell.
Ohhh, you bear the visage of the wise raven.{^n}{^n}The Hranaak granted this knowledge to the Kurn, generations ago. It brightens Noktukari's day to see the ancient traditions still hold.{^n}{^n}You must be a good soul to be gifted with this form.
This is your technique?
We Hranaak have imparted many wisdoms upon the ancient Kurn.{^n}{^n}Some long forgotten. Others, it appears, still carry on.{^n}{^n}This is a bright moment in a dimming world.

Farewell.

Farewell.
How does it find Noktukari?{^n}{^n}Did our rune speak fail? Hmm, no... this one is clever and...different.{^n}{^n}Tell us: how long have you carried the veil breath within you?

What...are you?
I don't have time for this.
Ahh, what enters my lair?{^n}{^n}Can't they leave this old Hranaak to fade in peace?
A Hranaak?
Hmmm?{^n}{^n}Ah, this one does not know. Fair, fair.{^n}{^n}Noktukari is old friend of Kurn. Hranaak is what my kind are named. But Hranaak time is passed, we must gracefully fade into Cairn's weave.
You are dying?
Mmmm? No, no...not Noktukari's time yet.{^n}{^n}Hranaak were created long ago by the Makers. We cannot make more Hranaak as you humans do, so our numbers have dwindled over the ages. Some Hranaak resist the natural order and submit to the dying god in hopes of finding a way to break the Makers' design.{^n}{^n}The Kaw'Hranaak are deceivers who have twisted our ancient calling and now bring only ruin. One cannot accept the gifts of the dying god without also being touched by its madness. But you, who are you that disturbs my peace so boldly?
Just a curious traveler.
I was just leaving.
I will not disturb you further.
I am a traveler.
How does it find Noktukari?{^n}{^n}Did our rune speak fail? Hmm, no... this one is clever and... different.{^n}{^n}Tell us: how long have you carried the veil breath within you?
The...veil breath?
Yes...yes! You reek of the Makers.{^n}{^n}The veil breath is upon you. You have been touched by the aether.{^n}{^n}Surely you know this.
I was taken by an Aetherial, yes. But no longer.
Hmm, Noktukari sees you speak true. The Maker has long fled.{^n}{^n}This fascinates us, yes. Young Kurn sometimes stumble upon Noktukari, but most have skulls thick as glacier or hearts dark with void rot. They bore us.{^n}{^n}But you are different. You may stay.
May I ask you something?

Well, thank you.
I don't want to talk about it.
I don't have time for this.
I was just leaving.
