CampaignDialogue:SOTA

This is a transcription of all dialogues from Secrets of the Ancients. It's meant as a resource for Wesnoth writers. If you don't want spoilers, leave this page now.

Death Dialogue

Ardonna/Ardryn-Na

No, no, NO, NO!

Ras-Tabahn

Ras-Tabahn: Urgh.

Ardonna/Ardryn-Na: But I still don't know how to bring you back to life!

Carcyn

Shynal: Oh, my beloved Carcyn!

You've always been so reckless...

Shynal

Carcyn: Shynal!

Bring her back to life, please!

Ardryn-Na: I'm not sure it's good...

Ras-Tabahn: If you really insist...

Shynal: Car. Cyn.

Ras-Tabahn: The girl will still recognize you for a short time, so make the most of the time you have left.

Killed as a zombie

Carcyn: Maybe it was better that way.

Scenario 1: Slipping Away

Story Text

From the Journal of Ardonna of Tarrynth

9 XII, 22 YW:

It's unfair that we humans must die after so few years. Elves and dwarves live far longer. Though this may be the natural order, we needn't embrace it! The lords on the Green Isle knew how to live forever. Pursuit of that knowledge was declared illegal by King Haldric I, but I believe it's worth the risk. As I watched my family waste away of various maladies, I vowed that I woudn't share their fate, and if I can rediscover the secrets of the ancients, I'll be a heroine to the whole continent! I shall begin research in earnest this winter.

26 II, 23 YW:

My experiments with bats have proven unfruitful. I have determined that they don't truly drain the life force of their victims - it's an illusion. The blood loss weakens the victim, while the bat gains vitality because it has fed. There's nothing I can learn from bats about extending life. Now I have a problem: I'm forced to keep the bats and pretend they're my pets because I can't admit why I was studying them. In truth, it's not a burden - I've grown somewhat fond of the creatures, and I don't mind appering eccentric. I'm already marked as different because my hair is so light and I lack a sense of smell.

4 III, 23 YW:

Today, headmaster Aimucasur himself taught a class on moving objects with one's mind. The technique involves projecting one's will inside the item and then learning to move it as an extension of the body. Incantations focused the mind to the task. We practiced with inanimate objects, but clearly the same principle could be applied to unliving flesh. Nobody dared voice the thought, because showing interest in the necromantic arts results in expulsion. I was pondering that fact in class when I noticed Aimucasur glowing at me. I must be more careful in the future about which of my thoughts appear on my face.

15 III, 23 YW:

One of my bats must have been old, for it died. Boldly then, I decided to animate the corpse. I was pleased to see that it worked, but what was interesting was this: the first time the bat twitched, I felt a last spark of life energy flash through its body. I noted that it flowed through some kind of pathway. That gave me an idea. With my mind, I searched out all the life force pathways in its body using what I could sense in the living bats as a guide. Then I animated them all at once, and the bat flapped off the floor on its own (That's a trick old Aimucasur probably doesn't know)! Even better, the energy running through the life force network seemed to maintain itself, so I didn't need to continue to concentrate. Could this be the whole secret? Could all the ancient lords have had someone bring them back after death? I'd need another mage I trusted completely, but perhaps I can find someone with whom to make a pact.

Later:

With further observation, I've determined that this isn't probably the way to avoid death. The reanimated bat has no will! It does nothing unless I nudge it with my mind. Perhaps the will of a human is stronger, and someday soon I'll have the opportunity to find out... because I'm quitting the Academy. I'll be in my room when old Morvihn checks for the night, but not two hours later! I grow weary of this place and its restrictions on thought. So, no more brown initiate's robes, no more being ridiculed on account of my hair, no more pompous instructors. I'll teach myself the so-called "dark" arts and learn how to live forever! The ancients from the Green Isle found a way, so I can discover it too. When all these oldsters here find themselves breathing their last, they'll have to beg me for the secret. Perhaps I'll be generous. Perhaps not.

Introductory Dialogue

Ardonna: I should get off the island in case the ethics committee is concerned about a rogue mage. I shall not be dragged back in disgrace! I should be able to reach the town of Llorvin before morning. I can hide there until I can head for the dock. I'll need some traveling money for that, so go, my bat friends, and find me some gold!

It would be good to have even more bats as well. There was a colony in that ruined castle where we practiced conjuring fire, so I'll try to find that. The castle was also infested with huge rats as I remember, but I can certainly destroy those. I'll have to use ice though, as I never mastered fire.

Seeing a wolf

Ardonna: A wolf! This journey could prove more dangerous than expected. Well, we could find shelter within the solid fences created by farmers and woodcutters.

Rats attack the fortress

Ardonna: I knew some rats would show up.

Scenario 2: Dark Business

Story Text

16 III 23 YW:

I decided to hide in the cemetery: in this way, at nightfall, I will be able to put into practice my experiments aimed at reviving a human body. Thanks to my black tunic I look like a mourner; Also, if I lift the hood, no one can see my hair.

Introductory Dialogue

Syrillin: Why are we stuck here guarding a cemetery all night?

Veomyr: And why are we seven? Who would be crazy enough to want to raid a cemetery?

Glant: I don't know, but my brother told me that an Academy sorceress came here tonight to argue with the mayor.

Caradoc: Well, I say orders aren't to be discussed, so be quiet.

Ardonna: I think they're guarding the cemetery because of me! Perhaps Aimucasur really harbored suspicions. It's good that I'm already here, but how do I get out? Well, at this point I can also run my experiment; I'll worry about getting out of here later.

Hello?

Walking Corpse: Uhngh.

Ardonna: Do you remember anything?

Walking Corpse: Uhrrr.

Ardonna: Apparently my first impression was correct: this poor creature is brainless.

Veomyr: I heard noises over there!

Glant: Who's there?

Ardonna: It's me, that's all. So the cemetery is closed? I was just about to leave.

Syrillin: You and... that other person. Who is he?

Ardonna: Oh, him! See, I don't mean to look for trouble, but he's a little... ah...

Caradoc: But he is dead! This is black magic, like in my grandfather's time on the Old Continent! The penalty for this offense is death. Attack them and kill them both!

Ardonna: Hey! Don't do it, or I'll have to call others back.

I would be better off if I had weapons: I think I can find some in the barracks. My comrades, go and get them.

Caradoc: Gwyllin, don't move from the barracks.

Reaching the healing temple

Ardonna: Oh, hello friend! I didn't know you were hiding here.

Hey, come back! I didn't mean to scare you.

Maybe I could lure him if I jingle a few coins.

Narrator: Right-click on a tomb adjacent to your leader to summon a bat.

Ardonna: Well? That guard said there were seven: where are the other two?

Reaching the barracks

Narrator: Now you can recruit skeletons and skeleton archers!

An enemy unit reachs the barracks

Narrator: You can no longer recruit skeletons or skeleton archers.

Scenario 3: Bandits

Story Text

17 III 23 YW:

Despite the delay at the cemetery, I reached the outskirts of Llorvin at the first light of dawn; the city was already far behind me when the sun appeared over the mountain tops. I doubt that the Academy will come looking for me in the rugged wilderness inhabited only by lumberjacks; and then, thanks to my new companions, I feel safe on my journey in the light of day. I will go east and then north, towards the port. Within a few days a ship should set sail for Porto Acquacupa: I expect to be on board too.

Introductory Dialogue

Mossa: What do we have here?

Prey is approaching, honey. They are an unusual group of creatures, but those with weapons appear undernourished.

Garcyn: Then they will prove to be easy targets.

Ardonna: I think they just spotted us from that hill. Arms in hand, my friends! We may have been ambushed.

Reaching the enemies with an undead unit

Enemy unit: But they're not undernourished: they're dead! How can they be dead? They're disgusting creatures!

Garcyn: Uh ... well, they're certainly not the first repulsive things we've seen in the wilds. Your mace is great at burning bones to ashes, so tear them apart.

Enemy unit: And then there's a white-haired girl.

Garcyn: She must be in league with the dead, so you can tear her apart too.

Killing Mossa

Garcyn: No!

You unleashed my anger, you filthy slut! Death will be too light a punishment for you!

Killing Garcyn

Garcyn: Please! Don't kill me.

Ardonna: No? All right then. I came up with an idea for another experiment.

Scenario 4: Becalmed

Story Text

22 III, 23 YW:

Research sometimes requires experiments, so I started mine. I pushed my willpower along the bandit's life force meridians, turning him into my puppet. He resisted, but thanks to my recent training my mind turned out to be stronger than his. Even stranger, the internal organs of his body also resisted by attacking the invader, which is me. However, since I was not physically present, his body ended up attacking itself! Within hours, whole pieces of flesh had weakened and threatened to fall off the skeletal frame, so I was forced to stitch them back into place.

Some of the bandit's companions had died in better conditions than their leader's, so I had the idea of adding their flesh to my puppet's. I stitched up the muscles where the fibers seemed to meet and used some spells to reinforce those welds, thus increasing the creature's strength. Initially, each new piece of flesh caused another violent reaction of rejection by the body's defenses. Eventually, however, the rejection had weakened and the body had stabilized in its new configuration, although by then it was rotting and therefore unrecognizable. The mind within the body babbled strange words about what it had become; but the bandit had wished for me a fate worse than death, so it didn't seem unfair to me.

As I spent the next day in the bandit's stronghold, I repeated the same procedure on some of his critically injured comrades, even though none of them turned into a creature as strong as their leader. One of them didn't survive, but it wasn't a serious loss - and I still enlisted him in my army anyway. Afterward, I headed to the docks and, under the cover of darkness, loaded my army into the hold of the docked ship. In the afternoon, I too embarked as a normal passenger.

25 III, 23 YW:

The voyage had started quite well, but by the dawn of the day following our departure, the wind had stopped completely: we were stuck in the sea. For the paying passengers there was enough food for two days, but there wasn't enough for my companions: therefore, the living creatures had quickly fallen prey to the pangs of hunger. On the second night, as a crew member had disappeared, I already had a suspicion about the cause. And I wasn't wrong.

Introductory Dialogue

Narrator: Now you can recruit the ghouls!

Joc: I found Janryn in the hold. Or at least ... what's left of him. He died. I didn't stay down there to find out who killed him, but something was slowly moving in the shadows and it smelled of rottenness.

Rudic: Murderers aboard my ship?! I won't tolerate such an affront! Gather the rest of the crew and bring them here - let's go hunting! All passengers must be locked up in their cabins with immediate effect.

You, dark-dressed girl! Why aren't you in your cabin?

Ardonna: What would happen if I said something in defense of illegal immigrants?

Rudic: I'd throw you overboard with them. What do you know about it?

Ardonna: They are my traveling companions: those poor creatures are terribly hungry. I'm sorry I couldn't pay the full amount, but maybe we can reach an agreement.

Rudic: Those beings killed a member of my crew and made me look stupid! The only deal I would sign right away is for your whole group to get off my ship, preferably at the bottom of the sea.

Ardonna: Oh dear! We'll have to do it again... come, my friends! If you're still hungry, first sink your fangs on one of the passengers.

Killing Rudic

Ardonna: Luckily it's over. But now, with the captain dead, who will steer the ship and guide us into port?

Get up, captain, and try to keep your memories.

Are you still capable of driving this ship?

Rudic: Driving... yes. Need for wind.

Ardonna: Oh, it worked! Captain, take us to port as soon as the wind blows in your favor.

Scenario 5: Blackwater

Story Text

29 III, 23 YW:

Since the captain had retained his memories, I deduced that it may have been due to the fact that he had been revived so soon after his death. Further experiments conducted on the other passengers came to the same conclusion. Just think: they could be the first people on this continent to live for eternity!

Fortunately for me, the captain was a very rich man: this solved my income problems for some time. Now I have to go: the captain is preparing to dock the ship in port.

Introductory Dialogue

Gweddin: Hey, Rudic! Welcome! You're late, old sport.

Rudic: Late.

Gweddin: Not very talkative today, huh? What happened to you?

Rudic: Happened? Dead.

Ardonna: (Be calm.)

Gweddin: Ah! Well, to be honest, you look really bad. You look... gray and your face is... but if we're talking in the here and now, you can't really be dead!

Rudic: Yes. Dead.

Gweddin: What devilry is this?

Bremen: This is magic, my lord. Black magic.

Gweddin: Necromancy! The penalty for this crime is death! Rudic, who is responsible for all this?

Rudic: She.

Ardonna: Ah, here ... I should have known that I wasn't going to get away with it cheaply.

Gweddin: Kill her!

Ardonna: Nobody has to stay alive to report our presence, otherwise the whole region will become a dangerous place for us. We have no choice: we have to kill them all.

Killing Gweddin

Ardonna: Porto Acquacupa has been conquered, but we mustn't let anyone escape. Exterminate them all.

Killing the last enemy unit

Ardonna: Here we're done.

Scenario 8: Carcyn

Story Text

First we'll follow the adventures of Ras-Tabahn.

After a few days of traveling, he reached the frontier town called Carcyn.

Introductory Dialogue

Ras-Tabahn: Greetings! I'm the wizard Ras-Tabahn.

Carcyn Fisher: Greetings to you, traveler. I'm Carcyn Fisher II. How can I help you?

Ras-Tabahn: I come here to propose a training offer in the magical arts. An offer made of notions, adventure and escape from this city.

Carcyn Fisher: Nobody in my city wants to "escape"! We're not interested in hearing your offer. Go and sell your corruption elsewhere.

Ras-Tabahn: The offer wasn't addressed to you, but to the young people of your city. I'll send my agents to all homes and public places in this city and resubmit my offer. And you'll let me do it.

Carcyn Fisher: I will never do such a thing! I'd rather die than let you fool our young people with your spells!

Ras-Tabahn: Maybe that's the way things go.

Recruiting

Mage: Look at him! He doesn't come from the academy.

Carcyn Fisher: Keep your tongue under control! I saw everything! I'm tolerant of instructors, but not when they just say the obvious.

Turn 2

Ras-Tabahn: Um... the young people who are most anxious to leave may be the ones locked up in prison. I should go take a look.

Reaching the prison

Carcyn: Carcyn Fisher at your service! This is my friend Shynal.

Shynal: "Friend"? (laughter) Oh yeah, we're really great friends...

Carcyn: Or... well, you know what. Thanks for getting us out of there, sir. We would be honored to follow you!

Ras-Tabahn: I assume you're Carcyn III, right?

Carcyn: Don't remind me ... it was my father who threw me in this sewer.

Carcyn Fisher: Stay out of this, my son.

Carcyn: Not even for an idea! All my life I've been waiting to see someone to put you back in line. And here comes someone you can't put your feet on your head!

Shynal: We are leaving this stinking city!

Killing Carcyn Fisher

Ras-Tabahn: I warned you not to challenge me.

Leveling Shynal as a footpad

First

Shynal: Hey, but I wanted to be a sorceress like you and live forever when you can find out the secret! I know that, eventually, I could become really powerful.

Refuse

Ras-Tabahn: Keep your tongue in check! You will do as I order.

Accept

Ras-Tabahn: Very well. After all, having more adepts available might be a good idea.

Second

Shynal: Damn! I wanted to be a sorceress like Carcyn.

Refuse

Ras-Tabahn: Don't make me regret freeing you from prison. My decision is final.

Accept

Ras-Tabahn: I changed my mind. Maybe someday you'll become really powerful.

Shynal: Thank you!

Leveling Carcyn as an outlaw

First

Carcyn: Hey, but I wanted to be a wizard like you and live forever when you can find out the secret! I know that, after all, I could become really powerful.

Refuse

Ras-Tabahn: Keep your tongue in check! You will do as I order.

Accept

Ras-Tabahn: Very well. After all, having more adepts available might be a good idea.

Second

Carcyn: Damn! I wanted to become a wizard like Shynal.

Refuse

Ras-Tabahn: Don't make me regret freeing you from prison. My decision is final.

Accept

Ras-Tabahn: I changed my mind. Maybe someday you'll become really powerful.

Carcyn: Thank you!