"We walked northeast from Segram and ventured into even more desert. There was another type of bird here, but we found the king of the sands. Mustafa urged us to run away from Mili Urdu, the enormous sandworm. Since we were supposed to be following him, we did as we were told. Just beyond the titano was the Flame Shrine. Before entering, we gave Aisha one more chance to flee. She didn't take it. Inside were more monsters than Mustafa thought. And the lava has risen far higher than ever thought imaginable. But we all needed to be here.
Inside were corrupt busts of statues long forgotten, scorpions, red slimes, and trolls. The trolls fought like the big guy in Byway Cave but were much easier to handle. It's the lava we thought about walking through that really hurt. Here and there were pools of lava. Fortunately, we didn't need to walk through them... The Fire Temple looks like an honest temple. The walkways were pristine or would be if properly taken care of. The ceilings were high, the rooms were massive, and the air had that weird vibe that permeates religious places. It was also very bright, but that might be the surface lava illuminating everything. I don't quite understand the rising platforms, but I'll assume they were defensive in nature.
Halfway through the area, we found a pool of ice. In the middle of a platform was an Ice Crystal. Mustafa informed us this item was created to seal the power of the fire dragon. The ice melted when we picked it up, but it allowed us to walk across lava elsewhere in the temple. It made the rest of the area a quick walkthrough. Until, of course, we reached the Guardian, Levaes Galem. I don't know why, but he reminded me of Galbalon from Felghana. It's probably just a coincidence with the two hands and weak spot. We had to aim our attacks at the glowing sphere above his waist. While we did so, he tried to smash us with his hands and falling rocks. It caused a lot of shockwaves, and we ended up felling the beast with surprising ease. But it upset Mustafa. Galem has been a normal statue for centuries. It must have only come alive recently, meaning whatever is affecting Altago can even corrupt sculptures.
But behind the Guardian was the Flame Monolith. It resembled the one in Shannoa. As before, I approached it, and it started to glow. A similar voice said similar things, and now Mustafa and Aisha became worried. That was definitely the voice of Angue-barl, the Fire Dragon. Hearing it made Mustafa realize I was on his side. And I also received the dragon's seal. Teleportation!
We teleported back to Segram and checked on Cruxie. She was fast asleep still, so we spoke downstairs. Mustafa didn't tell us much more than Fatima and the King did, but he suggested we head to Kylos and talk to their leader. She'll be at the highest point in town and has mysterious powers. We thanked him and left. Cruxie was up as we left and hoped to see Tia in town again. Our herbalist is world renowned!
The road to Kylos was blocked, and we couldn't get through. It wasn't a landslide, though, but Altagian guards. Something happened in town. As we entered Altago, more guards told us someone had broken into the palace. Nothing was stolen, and no one was harmed, but strangers sneaking into royal ground is rarely allowed. We were told to look for a man in black armor, but the entire region was in lockdown for now.
Tia and Maya were at their flower cart in the main square. We spoke for a few minutes, but I've completely forgotten what we said. Maya... Maya lacked her usual excitement and never even pulled Aisha's hair. She just collapsed. She became unresponsive, so we took her back home. Aisha knew immediately what was wrong: Iskan Fever. She's the same as Cruxie but much more advanced. Her extremities were already turning to stone. The doctor showed up, but there was nothing he could do. We'd need a red crystal to produce a treatment, but those are rare, and only a merchant named Zanzibar had them. We made our way to his shop but left angry and disappointed. He made a monopoly on the crystals and jacked the price up. And he wouldn't sell one to us anyway because we'd use it on a person from Old Altago. Dogi nearly punched his face in, which I almost let him do. Aisha was probably right to stop him. We couldn't have helped in jail. We returned home with only one other option. It's possible the red crystal can be found in the waterways beneath town. Tia rushed out, and we gave chase.
We caught up to her being harassed by Raud and his men. Tia agreed to go on a date if he opened the gate to the waterway, but the terrible knight refused. Until Aisha convinced him. I didn't know how she did it, but the two went aside, and our archer won the debate.
We guarded Tia through various aqua based fauna. Flying fish, crabs, shellfish; you get the idea. In the very back was a large crab that defended a batch of red crystals under a waterfall. Valisi Luta was weirdly passive.
We quickly returned with Tia to the old temple. She and the doctor were mixing the medicine, which we thought meant Maya was alone. Actually, Scias was watching over her. Scias grew up in old town and was "childhood friends" with Tia. He also told us Maya lost her parents three years ago in the war, which might be why she's mute. Maya wandered to Old Altago and became close to Tia. They've been inseparable ever since. Tia came home with the medicine and gave it to Maya. The young girl calmed down, but how long until she'd have another episode. There's no cure for Iskan Fever, only treatment. And Maya is young and weak; she's gonna suffer again. Tia fell asleep out of exhaustion, so the four of us left.
Fun fact: Aisha is the princess of Altago! Yeah...Scias dropped that on us. He asked his ruler why she was here and with us. Aisha said she's looking into the happenings of Altago. She knows nothing of the people she'll one day rule over and needs to learn. And she's a proactive princess who wants to help. Especially her father, who is also suffering with Iskan Fever. This answer pleased the Falcon, and he called off the blockades. The intruder was likely long gone by now anyway, so we're free to go to Kylos.
The gorge north is filled with sheep and electric ibex. The caves we needed to go through are similar. There was also a man roaming these parts as well. Just outside of Kylos was an old friend: Geis. Geis has black armor, so Dogi asked if Geis was the intruder. He was. It's been six months since Canon, but he still holds a grudge against me for some reason... So I beat him up. I don't know if I've gotten stronger or if Geis is weaker, but I stomped him pretty easily. He didn't seem too hurt, so maybe the dark mercenary was toying with me. Anyway, he was looking for the dragon seals, which I've been granted. I think it annoyed him, but we went our separate ways. Aisha tried to get answers as to why he was in the palace, but Geis was just so edgy...
Kylos is a lovely village that's powered by winds. There were so many windmills here, and it was beautiful. But we have a nation to save first.
PS: I think we beat up a raptor before the Ice Crystal.
- Adol"
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I've been in Kylos for two minutes, and it's already one of my favorite cities in the genre.
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