(Also apologies for the switch-around: I forgot to get the quest for the Sun magic until I was near the end of this area - you need to talk to Inyanga AFTER you get to the Drum Jungle the first time. I was an idiot and didn't find out about this until I had defeated the Overseer, which was near the end of the area. So I was still running with Gargantuan for most of the Jungle. I was able to beat the enemies with it but had I gotten that quest early, I could have done more damage and needed less boosts. :/ Anyways, the girls didn't get Colossal until MUCH later but I pretended they got it early. ;P )
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Africa was full of people in need of help and there had to be a limit. You simply could not help everybody; but you could at least help those who came into your life. That principle allowed you to deal with the suffering you saw. That was your suffering. Other people would have to deal with the suffering that they, in their turn, came across. (Morality for Beautiful Girls)
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"Praise be to the ancestors, Rra," said Grace, bowing. "We must hurry and rescue the Prince."
"Hold on," said Mago. "A friend of mine was going to meet us here, but she's not here yet. I'm worried about her. Her name is Koko Smokesign and she's one of the few Gorillas which hasn't succumbed to the shadows."
Grace shuddered.
"I get it," said Christina. "You were brought here when you were kidnapped long ago! We'll kick the butts of the gorillas who did this!"
"You'll be fine," I said, putting a hand on my friend's shoulder. "You've got us this time."
"Thank you, sisters," she whispered. "We'll find out what happened, Rra Onetusk."
"Whoa!"
Christina drew our attention to a giant obelisk that reminded me of the one in Zamunda.
"That is the Sun Obelisk," said Grace. "I remembered it glowing bright when I was a child, when my father took the cattle downstream. But..."
"It's wrecked," said Christina sourly. "Shame, we could have learned some sweet spells!"
I sighed and shook my head. "We have more important to deal with."
Like the patrols of fierce gorilla warriors!
"Look at this!" said Christina, pointing to a bamboo cage bristling with ward magic. I saw a figure which looked like a humanoid flamingo. "Is this..."
"No, it is not Rra Sunchaser, but his people live in the jungle too," said Grace. "They have a special magic related to fire... that is why one of them is the assistant to Professor Falmea."
"Morgie's got something from them, I am sure!" hissed Christina. "Add another reason she's on my cr** list!"
We returned to Mago and informed him of what we saw.
"It's just as I feared," said Mago sadly.
"How could the Blackbacks have gotten so terrible?" whispered Grace. "They were much more peaceful. True, they devowed the ways of the Baobab but they stayed neutral to good and evil! This... this is not the same clan I saw when I was young."
"We need to beat up a few of those apes to make them reveal Koko's location," he said.
I nodded and turned to Grace. "We'll be gentle."
(With 3050 HP and Life school, these gorillas are probably the strongest enemies in Zafaria. Oh, and they are the first Life enemies with Forest Lord, so watch out.)
Christina poked a Blackback in the ribs. "Talk! Where's Koko Smokesign?"
"Your magic made a monkey out of me!" grunted the gorilla. "Ogun Daggertooth is holding him!"
Grace inhaled sharply. She told me that Ogun was a fierce warrior who was always grumpy. She didn't realize that time would make him so evil.
"Let's get Koko out of that cage," I said.
I was ill - the webs were covering the entire jungle. It made me sick to think of the spiders that did this damage.
"You will be dead before we you do that to us!" I shouted. "Release Koko now or else!"
He chose ELSE.:p (This is crazy - Ogun actually has LESS health than his ally, having only 2830. He IS Storm, but still...)
"Stand back, Koko," I warned. "This might hurt you if you're too close..." I summoned the Baslisk and it smashed the bars to bits with its tail.
"Mma Smokesign," said Grace. "You are okay, no?"
Koko lit up at Grace. "Oh, if it isn't little Rainchild. You should not have come here, but I saw your power... you are a strong wizard now!"
"What has happened here, Mma?" whispered Grace. "This was a place of neutrality."
"We shall talk outside, it is not safe here," said Koko. "Come."
"Please, tell me what has happened in the two years I was gone," whispered Grace.
Koko shook her head sadly. "The tale of the Gorillas is a sad one, child. We fought Morganthe at the dawn of memory, but her minions tricked my people. We were proud and arrogant and fell into her clutches."
"No..." said Grace, pale as a sheet.
"The Blackbacks felt unwelcome in the new city of Baobab and they turned their backs on the Council of Zafaria," said Koko.
"But still," I said. "Grace said they were neutral, they didn't take sides... why turn to Morganthe?"
"They hid away in this jungle, far from art, light and life. We have fallen far as you can see from our web-covered throne." She shook her head sadly again. "It is no fit seat for a king."
"How... what trickery caused them to join forces with the Spider Queen, the one who their ancestors fought with the Council of Light long ago?" asked Grace. "When I was here as a child..."
"Morganthe returned to Zafaria just a year ago, when most had forgotten she had even existed," said Koko. "But the Blackbacks... they dreamt of her and remembered."
"Yeah, that's not smart," said Christina. "I have to keep remembering old Mal and how he tried to kill me in Golem Tower. That was not fun..."
"When you were a child, Rainchild," said Koko. "We had a different leader, but he was usurped by Kallak Silverback who fell to his knees to serve her. You know him - he was the one I saw them bring you to."
Grace gasped and cringed. I knew that was not a fond memory for her. "What of the Amulet, Mma? Is it still safe?"
"Alas no," said Koko. "Kallak stole the Golden Amulet from our vault and gave it to Morganthe."
"No..." whispered Grace.
"Great, three for three," grumbled Christina. "We're battling a zillion today!"
I nodded. "Koko, did you see Prince Tziri?"
"Yes," said Koko. "I saw Morganthe's servants shepherding the Elephant Prince through the jungle. You must stop them!"
"We have to get to the Elephant Graveyard before they get there," I said.
"But you will need a map," said Koko. "The Black Tusk Cultists lurking about might have one."
"What about the Sun Obelisk?" asked Grace. "Do you know what can be done for it?"
"When the Umbra Queen's servants came years ago, they destroyed the Sun Obelisk and used its shards for their dark rites," said Koko. "The Black Tusk Cultists serve her implicitly, they might have the pieces. If you can get them, I will help you repair the Obelisk."
We took out more of the Black Tusk cultists with puking frogs and got a map of the jungle and a couple of large black shards which looked like the remaining pieces of the obelisk.
Koko smeared some black tar on the broken side of the shards. "Fit these into the obelisk and chant these words - Nziri Zrini! The obelisk will be restored."
"Let's go," I said.
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| "Nziri Zrini!" |
(This is what you really want - it's only 50 more damage but that will be boosted a lot when blades and make your 10000 damage attacks do 25000 damage, making the next worlds much easier. But, as I said, the girls didn't do this quest until later, so this is from later.)
"Something tells me this gate is a no-pass zone," said Christina.
"Let's tell what we found to Koko," I said.
"Can you dispel it?" asked Grace.
"Yes, but I need my wand," said Koko. "Ogun stole it from me and gave it to those vile Shadow-Weavers patrolling the entrance to the Graveyard."
"Well, time to kick bug-butt," said Christina, cracking her knuckles.
Seriously, I think Chris just wanted to show off her Jade Oni spell again. :p
(Remember those upgraded Shadow-Weaver Haunts who were mooks of the Goliaths early on? Yep, they're a regular mob here!)
Koko got her wand back and sent us to hunt down some Spider Witches and get their headdresses. Ra subdued them. We also found a weird device which Christina stashed for later. After we got the headdresses, we harvested some Gazinia flowers for the ritual.
Then Koko gave us a chant...
No, seriously, that's the chant. Don't ask me, she's a witch doctor. :p
It was time to find out what was behind this gate...
Was that...???
Not my words exactly, but I was shocked too. "Umilio?"
We had found the group leader, Umilio Sunchaser... and where was Christina?!
[To be continued...]
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