Riimuk: "We need to speak with the lord."

Before you're able to go anywhere, a telepathic message reaches the two of you.

Got a message from Torrent. He asks if your runic spells are functional.

Riimuk: They are not.

Alright. I'll have some news in a bit once Torrent and the lord figure something out.



Riimuk: "Have the Ruhe destroyed runic magic again? This soon?"


____________________


The three of you walk through Luttiim, the place looking like a ghost town. Reaching the road leading west, you make it about halfway towards Teleiat before you feel Stahlnacht doing something strange.

Some sort of rippling or distortions, radiating out from the witch sword, a signal almost. Tabi and Frosty don't seem to notice it, but you're sure it's not your imagination.

Frosty: "So, what's Vranhal like?"

Tabi: "It's a large city, surrounded by a large plain full of villages and farms, and then surrounded by a giant circular wall. Right beside a river and has a mine to the north and south of it, it's basically self-sufficient."

Frosty: "Sounds like it'd be, hard to search."


____________________


He hesitates for a bit.

Madenuuk: "I am not one, but two. Our names are Onuuk and Madeline. It is custom for shamans to find a spirit companion, a partnership that helps the two progress.

Onuuk discovered the ruins of a city to the south west, and in it he found the spirit of Madeline Rinehart, the lord of a kingdom that was destroyed by witches.

Onuuk tried to take Madeline as his companion, and Madeline tried to take his body. The result is this - a confused binding of two spirits to one body. I, we, have spent years fighting, until we have decided to work together to build a new body for Madeline. We experimented first by finding the lost souls that wandered around the old Heartstone facility, building bodies for them while we honed the art, until that became our main focus for some time. Now that the facility is shut down, it is time to return to the original objective. To complete our work, we require a Heartstone."

Madenuuk: "Us."

Horoma: "Fine.

I'll learn."

Her father has a look of satisfaction on his face.

???: "Let's get some more space."

The two of them walk off, away from you.

Miimas: "... Well."

Tuhota: "Who is that?"


____________________


Andrew: Anything what

Madenuuk: "Onuuk would have no reason to perfect a body if Madeline was placed in a temporary one, as Onuuk would be free of her spirit. Madeline stays until a satisfactory one has already been built."


____________________


Hmm, you're not sure where Gamaliel went.

Could try asking the telepath.

Telepath: Seems like he doesn't want to be bothered right now, sorry. I could get someone else for you.

Riimuk seems to be deep in thought.


____________________


You try listening to the blade, but you don't really know what it's saying. Just sending out pulsing signals of -something-.
And, getting a response, it seems like.

Your group reaches Teleiat - abandoned, though there appear to be a few chirop here and there in armor or mage robes, patrolling the streets.

Telepath: One moment.

It seems like John and Kleigg are somewhere West, most likely at or around the Heartstone Facility ore returning. P'orihc and Ki'stha abandoned the mission and went to build roads. Kyeltziv is in the training grounds to the east.


____________________


Tabi: "What? What's it doing?"

Frosty: "Stahlnacht?"

Tabi: "It's the witch that forms his armor, and is contained in his sword I think."


Stahlnacht continues pulsing to the... Other thing.

Travelling around Teleiat, your group continues on its way and reaches the site of the old watchtower, now a ravine with a pitch black hole where the tower was.

In the distance to the south, you see the Leviathan rampaging in the scarred land, digging massive trenches and making new hills whenever it moves. An army of small, fast figures seem to be around it but not attacking it.

It's now that you get a response from Stahlnacht, the whispered voice sounding quietly in your helm.

"The World Reader has been altered. It now only listens to the chosen, the false heroes who wish to bring everything to a halt."



____________________


Madenuuk: "If that is what it takes, you may look into our minds."

Andrew: "Very well. I'm starting now."



Andrew: Okay, there's definitely two people, spirits, in there. Uh, sec.

Looks like all of the speaking and actions we see from the single 'Madenuuk' is based on which one feels stronger at a particular thing, Onuuk or Madeline. Anything that takes time to think seems to be them weighing their options against each other, like you would discuss with yourself internally. They just have two. It all happens much more fluidly than it sounds.

Lord Madeline Rinehart. I recognize the name, and the memories seem to confirm her identity. The Rinehart kingdom was destroyed by the witch Falbiel, with only a few managing to escape. Charlotte Rinehart, Madeline's daughter, was one of them, and sought out Vranhal's help to slay the witch.

Onuuk's seem to be real as well. Lupus born in this city, became a shaman, explored the south-west wastes for stray spirits.


Madenuuk: "Once she has a new body, Madeline wishes to reclaim her kingdom and rebuild it. Many of the girls here are willing to go with her."