Varashta_Introduction_Wild
You there! Can you see me?
Introduction
Finally! I have been attempting to project myself to the surface for centuries… I see you have slain the defiler that was drawing power out of this {djinn.} I thank you. I am Varashta, once a Sekhema of the Maraketh. A powerful evil seeks freedom, and I must make sure that does not happen. Fight for me! If not for glory, then for yourself. Zarokh, the Grand Djinn of Time, is siphoning these {djinn} to project his power into the world. The Mirage you are about to face is his doing. I have learned to exert some… {influence…} over his manipulations. Tell me what you wish for…
Breaking the Chain
His Mirage is bound to this place by an Astral Chain. Enter the Mirage. Break the Astral Chain, then return to me.
The Broken Chain
You have done well. Zarokh’s link to this place has been broken, so I can now free this trapped {djinn}… but I, too, will soon fade from this place. I am trapped alongside Zarokh, and I can only infiltrate his projections, not create them myself… you will have to fight the Afarud on your own.
The Afarud
I hold no ill will toward the Faridun, but the Afarud disgust me. They are the pariahs of the outcasts. The rejected of the rejected. The violent, the sadists, and the evil. For generations, they have made plague and darkness their tools. They steal what is ours, and commit unspeakable acts… but only on the fringes, in the dark places. They know the Maraketh would slaughter them otherwise… which is why it is very concerning that the Afarud would make such overt moves now, after all this time. For some reason, they now seek to free Zarokh, the accursed Grand Djinn of Time… they are not loyal to him. They are led by another, someone who remains hidden in the shadows…
Zarokh
Zarokh is my eternal nemesis, and my only companion. He and I have been trapped together for a time incomprehensible. Yes, we hate each other, but we are also the only two thinking beings in the halls of the Trial, save when an aspirant makes an attempt. Long ago, he sought to betray me, and caged me in a prison of Time. To save the Vastiri from him, I bound him to a {barya} in the lowest level… and here we are, thousands of years later. He still struggles for freedom, and I still strive to stop him. I am sure we are both quite mad by now, but it’s hard to tell, isn’t it?
Prison of Time
There are no bars. No chains. Yet, I am caged all the same. Freedom is mere steps away, but my foot is moving slower than a glacier. He left my mind unslowed to torture me, but that was his greatest mistake. I have had a very {long} time to focus on tapping into his power, and now I can undermine him…
The Trial of the Sekhemas
Oh, the Trial of the Sekhemas? It is a Maraketh tradition that you need not concern yourself with. We built it, Zarokh and I… together… long ago…
Varashta_Callout_Random
Approach.
Varashta_Callout_4
Ready yourself.
Varashta_Callout_7
You’ve done well.
Varashta_Select_Random
Make your wish.
Varashta_Select_4
Choose what you wish.
Varashta_Select_7
What is your desire?
Varashta_Wish_Generic_22
Go with luck.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_23
Go, with luck.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_25
Come back alive.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_26
Come back, alive.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_28
Slaughter them all!
Varashta_Wish_Generic_31
The battle begins.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_33
The battle begins!
Saresh
Ah, so the Afarud’s secret leader is Saresh, the Necromancer of Weeping Black! I was already bound to the Trial of the Sekhemas by his era. I know only what aspirants and {djinn} have told me. He was a Walker of the White Sands, rejected even by the Faridun, though I know not why. Ahkeli’s Order found him, recruited him, and put his unique talents to work… but even they could not stomach his… {interests}. Eventually, they banished him, and he sought refuge in a desert region. He became a Necromancer and built an army of the dead, and eventually waged war on us. Orbala was crowned Garukhan for uniting the {akharas} and defeating him. The Afarud must have stolen him away after… perhaps Orbala’s victory was not complete…
Saresh’s Defeat
You have won a great victory, but I am still concerned. Saresh was partly a {djinn}, and partly undead? This is… impossible… the ritual of binding cannot be enacted on living flesh. It must be something like a coin, a sword, or a painting… unless… yes…that must be it. His undead body {isn’t} a living thing, so the ritual must still work. How does one kill that which cannot die? He will return… I have no doubt…
The Winter Sekhema
Do they still call me the Winter Sekhema? I am always surprised at the lasting memory of my people. We survived the Winter of the World so long ago that the Vastiri has endured two or three entire eras since. There was a time of warming, of rains, of lush rivers and forests… then the slow growth of the sands and the salt flats… the passing of my beloved mastodons… and now the deserts, too, begin to change. It is subtle, and visible only to one who watches, like me, but I feel it in the air. Though it may take another thousand years, the rains will return. This is my wisdom for you: if you wait long enough, all things change.
The Winter of the World
You would not believe it now, but the Vastiri was once a land of snow, ice, and eternal gloom. We were a people clad completely in pale furs, meant to keep us warm and blend in with the snow. Kulemak himself once gazed directly at me, but led his army past. He had no idea I was kneeling there in the drift, glaring right back at him. I would have given my life to leap out and slit his rotting throat… but he’d have just risen from another body. Cowardly {ji-tat!}
Kulemak
I’m not certain what happened. Last I heard about it, some sort of alliance had a plan to confront Kulemak. That was… some time ago… I’m not sure how long. I’m sure you would not be here if it had failed, so there is that.
Djinn
After returning from a journey to the islands of the south, and learning from the {hatungo} there, I created the basis for what you now know as {djinn}. My daughter, Rashi, was the first… though I have not seen her since she founded the {sel khari}… she chose to do this. Those that agree to the ritual know far less pain. My people have long sentenced criminals to a time as {djinn}… these are the minor {djinn} the Afarud wish to torture and exploit. Criminals, yes, but they’re {our} criminals.
Sentenced Criminals
I created the binding ritual to improve our lives, to give those who wished to serve the chance to aid future generations. I am still saddened by how quickly it became a tool of punishment, even in my own eyes. It was I who first sentenced criminals… traitors and fools in my own {akhara}. Navira, Ruzhan, Kelari… I regret ever walking that path. I would take it back, if I could, but it’s too late for that.
Varashta_VastiriDesertWild
The Vastiri! Seeing my home once again renews my determination…
Mirages
From what I observed, Zarokh is trying to… how do I explain this? If Time is a river, he is hooking his chains into it, and trying to pull it down another path… a path in which he was never bound in a {barya}, perhaps. If he can exert enough force, chain enough of our history, he may succeed… but, until then, his Mirages are not real. They are pale shadows of the land and the creatures within… but not the people.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_Random
Your wish has been granted.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_4
So be it.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_7
Your heart’s desire.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_10
An interesting choice.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_13
Let’s see how that turns out for you.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_16
Destroy the enemy.
Varashta_Wish_Generic_19
Do what you must, jingakh.
Varashta_Wish_Nemeses
Champions shall rise to meet your challenge.
Varashta_Wish_RevivingMonsters
There is always another battle.
Varashta_Wish_UniqueStrongbox
Treasures from the past await.
Varashta_Wish_MoreCurrency
Ah, a wish for riches.
Varashta_Wish_MoreDivCards
Prophecy and desire are one and the same.
Varashta_Wish_MoreScarabs
Seize control of your destiny.
Varashta_Wish_MoreMapDrops
You wish to travel and see unknown lands…
Varashta_Wish_MoreRarity
Not all treasure is silver and gold.
Varashta_Wish_GoldFind
The most common wish…
Varashta_Wish_StandaloneBosses
You wish to challenge yourself by facing powerful foes…
Varashta_Wish_DjinnsChestBronze
Some crave the lustre of jewels…
Varashta_Wish_DjinnsChestSilver
Precious stones beyond compare.
Varashta_Wish_DjinnsChestGold
The glitter of jewels, a waterfall of precious colour…
Varashta_Wish_MasterworkWeaponChest
An exquisite weapon shall be yours.
Varashta_Wish_MasterworkArmourChest
The finest armour…
Varashta_Wish_ZarokhPacks
Let us face the minions of Zarokh.
Varashta_Wish_AtlasPacks
The dream becomes real…
Varashta_Wish_BossReplacement
I hope you know what you are doing…
Varashta_Wish_GoldFountain
Dance among the raining coins.
Varashta_Wish_RandomScarabMods
Face an uncertain path.
Varashta_Wish_MonstersChilledHindered
Their fear of you will chill them to the bone.
Varashta_Wish_GoldenVolatiles
You enjoy the chase, I see…
Varashta_Wish_OasisGround
Drink, and be refreshed.
Varashta_Wish_FaridunMiniboss
Face the enemy.
Varashta_Wish_NamelessSeer
A gift, from the mists.
Varashta_Wish_ReflectingMist
A mirror shows only that which you already possess.
Varashta_Wish_PlayersCannotDie
A wish for immortality? A tale as old as time.
Varashta_Wish_ExperienceGain
The pursuit of wisdom never ends.
Varashta_Wish_PlayersExplodeOnKill
May your enemies fall before you.
Varashta_Wish_PlayersAdrenalineOnslaught
The greatest haste shall be yours.
Varashta_Wish_PlayersSoulEater
To face evil, become evil.
Varashta_Wish_FrogPacks_Random
What? Why? You could have anything, and you wish for {frogs?} Alright.
Varashta_Wish_FrogPacks_2
The frogs of today are nothing like the terrors of my era…
Varashta_Wish_Fisherman
He who masters the art of fishing is wise indeed.
Varashta_Wish_Scrolls
There is worth to be found even in the most humble of discoveries.
Varashta_Wish_RainJewels
That which is precious shall rip free from its confines.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_Random
The Astral Chain is broken.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_4
The battle has been won.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_7
We are victorious… for now.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_9
A legendary battle.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_11
You fight like a {dekhara}.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_14
You live to fight another day.
Varashta_DjinnFreed_17
Zarokh will not like this.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_ArmourCache
You shall be graced by metal and leather.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_BindingOrb
Not all bindings are a curse.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_BootCache
Good boots win wars. Remember that.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_ChromaticOrbs
A geomantic wish. Curious.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_FiveLinkArmour
Everything is connected…
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_GlovesCache
Gloves were crucial in my era.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_HelmetCache
Even the greatest warrior needs a good helmet.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_JewellryCache
Glittering fineries await you.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_MeleeWeaponCache
The finest weapons, carved by masters.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_RangedWeaponCache
Elegantly carved bows shall be yours.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_ShieldCache
A shield is the strongest fortress.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_UniqueArmour
Heroes long dead are still with us.
Varashta_Wish_Cmpgn_UniqueWeapon
The legacy of heroes carries on.
Varashta_Wish_ReplacePacksBetrayal
The Mastermind moves against us.
Varashta_Wish_ReplacePacksGilded
Their flesh rips and tears, but they spill gold, not blood.
Saresh’s Darkness
That disgusting toothy belt you are wearing… Saresh has done something to it. Desecrated it. His Afarud are a sect bathed in plague and rot, and they have made it their own. I am wary of you, that you choose to master similar arts… but I suppose it is intent that matters, not the tool.
Solerai’s Radiance
Could it be? You are wearing the belt of one of the greatest warriors of all time! I did not witness her feats, as I was trapped by then, but even I have heard of the great Solerai! Just picture it. The blazing glare of a furious goddess, the Sun herself, fighting amongst mortals! Sometimes, I fill with pride for what my people have accomplished. We {will} persevere!
The Flame of Hope
Where did you get that bow? I feared it lost forever! In the depths of the Winter of the World, fire was our light in the darkness, our constant companion… and our weapon. Can you picture our burning arrows setting ablaze an entire swarm of undead? There is no more glorious sight. I have no use for it now, so you may wield my bow, with my blessing. May it slaughter our enemies.
The Bane of Hope
What have they done to my bow?! No wonder it went missing all those years ago… they must have stolen it, and desecrated it. Hmm… I should be furious, but I must admit, as a warrior… it still seems to be a fairly effective weapon. Fire is not the lifeline it once was, so perhaps my bow will serve you well in its new form. Turn the dogs’ own desecration against them!
Fleshrender
What is this abomination you wield? Skysunder was lost long ago… the Afarud must have stolen it! It is a weapon of evil now, rusted into half-life by Kulemak’s blood. There is something bound to it, some small grain of his essence… it hates you, {jingakh}. It hates all things that live. You should not use it. You will regret it… someday.
Skysunder
Do you know what wonder you wield? Skysunder was the very weapon that ended the Winter of the World! On that day, I was watching through Zarokh’s web of filaments… only to see the eternal gloom, the sky as I had always known it, obliterated by a wave of gold fire from the distant horizon! The Sun blazed down, my first moment understanding its light, and I knew that the world would never be the same. My tired soul burns anew, just seeing this blade!
The Desecrated Chalice
What foulness is this? This Desecrated Chalice you carry… the Afarud must be slaughtered to the last man for this injustice! This was the personal chalice of my daughter, Rashi. They’ve turned it into a mockery! There must be blood! Get that out of my sight!
The Sacred Chalice
You carry the Sacred Chalice of the {sel khari!} My daughter crafted this, in days long past… I can still feel a part of her carried within it. I have not seen her in thousands of years, though I know she still endures, as the Grand Water Djinn… thank you, {jingakh}, for this small reminder of hope.
Khatal’s Weeping
That amulet you wear was once known as Khatal’s Geyser. The drop of Sacred Water within has been putrefied… my heart grows heavy thinking about it. And that crude engraving… yes, it is true. Khatal was Faridun. We needed every warrior we could possibly arm… and every scrap of power we possessed. He was a male {daiyata}, a tale-teller, if you can believe it. The times demanded it.
Khatal’s Geyser
Ah, that beautiful amulet you’re wearing! You see there? It holds a drop of Sacred Water, from the Pools of Khatal themselves, no doubt. He was an ugly man, Khatal, with a face only a {nasimac} warrior could have loved, but I have never known a more willful soul. It warms my heart to see that he is remembered. There was a time I even considered - but no… he wasn’t allowed to have children… not even a Sekhema could change that.