arrow_back 原神 任务 
Chronicler of the Crumbling City
You finally enter the volcano, only to find pitch darkness all around. Continue exploring this place...
Ehecatl:
"I should explain that this place was not always so dark... Even though it is undoubtedly the 'inside' of a volcano..."
Ehecatl:
"However, after the war was over, the entire city was destroyed. After that, such a huge mechanical construct could hardly continue to function..."
Paimon:
War?
Ehecatl:
"Yes, the war between the remaining Dragonborn and the humans — the war in which the original master of flame was killed..."
Ehecatl:
"The master of this place is long since dead, and naught else but the city ekes out survival... Though who can really say? Perhaps the city, too, has already ceased to live."
Ehecatl:
"...Hmm. Or perhaps so many things that once existed were nothing more than illusions."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr?
Ehecatl:
"We each stand to benefit, little one. You get what you came for, and I hope to borrow your power to solve a few problems of my own..."
Ehecatl:
"And so, you must reach the Heart of the Sacred Mountain... But alas, the Mountain's power was cut off during the war."
Ehecatl:
"And for all that the seals' power is like weak threads that could only entrap a whelp, the oath dictates that only a 'human' may activate them..."
Ehecatl:
"In an interesting twist, the poor child who used this method to infiltrate the Sacred Mountain was, in the end, brought to ruin by someone else using nigh identical means."
Ehecatl:
"Hehe. Ah, such has it ever been... Just as the followers of a tyrant are driven out by heroes, and after many years of wandering, their descendants end tyranny in some other realm..."
Ehecatl:
"The world and its affairs are akin to a staged play. Cause and effect, revenge and revolt... All scenes repeat themselves one after the other across ragged eons..."
Ehecatl:
"Ah, but I am getting off-topic... Well then. Activate it, and let this moribund capital writhe a little while longer. None but you is worthy to do this deed now."
Ehecatl:
"Have I officially given you its name, by the by? I believe I have not..."
Ehecatl:
"No matter. Welcome to the first Sacred City, Tollan."
Paimon:
Whoa... Paimon was not expecting the volcano to look like this on the inside...
Paimon:
Is that really where we are? Or did we get yoinked to a different spot when we went through the volcano's mouth?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrah... Rawr!
Ehecatl:
"Oh, this is undoubtedly the Sacred Mountain's interior, but even I... know not how long it has been since I saw such a sight..."
Ehecatl:
"Ah... Only when the light shone upon you once more, did I see that you had mouldered so..."
Paimon:
Ehecatl?
Ehecatl:
...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr?
Ehecatl:
"Ah, my apologies. Mere brief indulgence in unnecessary sentimentality..."
Ehecatl:
Energy reserve low... Hibernation imminent. Please replace or connect... energy storage medium...
Ehecatl:
"Haha. It seems like dear Ehecatl's long 'exile' has left it with little time..."
Paimon:
Wait, what do you mean? Is Ehecatl... gonna die?
Ehecatl:
"The one you name Ehecatl has long ceased to be amongst the living... To be brief, Tollan requires a great amount of energy to be restarted, and no waste can be permitted. You must..."
Ehecatl:
"Destroy the seal on one of the other two 'Astral Assemblages'... and the other... Only then can you truly activate the Celestial Axis in the center..."
Ehecatl:
"Uhhh..."
Traveler:
You alright over there?
Ehecatl:
"...I am fine. We will... meet again..."
Ehecatl:
"*sigh* ... Onward then, Chosen of Dragons... Alas, the pain of a body losing its vitality... I am not used to it... even after all these years..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr?
Ehecatl:
...
Paimon:
The light around Ehecatl's gone... It's not moving anymore, either.
Paimon:
Paimon's still kinda confused... Was that really Ehecatl talking, or was someone else speaking through it?
Paimon:
True. Still, about the Astral Assemblages he mentioned just now... Does he mean something like that big fireball from earlier? And what's this Celestial Axis thing? We don't have any idea what that is...
Paimon:
Oh well, let's take a look around and see if we can find those strange things he mentioned!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Secret Source Servant:
Scanning... This location... The path to the Celestial Axis has been sealed. Core Astral Assemblage has been activated...
Secret Source Servant:
Remaining Astral Assemblages must be re-stabilized to gain the power needed to reopen the seal...
Paimon:
Ah, Ehecatl?
Secret Source Servant:
Scanning... This location... The path to the Celestial Axis has been sealed. Core Astral Assemblage has been activated...
Secret Source Servant:
Remaining Astral Assemblages must be re-stabilized to gain the power needed to reopen the seal...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rroo...
Paimon:
Wait, this isn't Ehecatl. Even if they do look the same...
Paimon:
Still, the "Celestial Axis"... This has gotta be the one that Ehecatl said needed activating, right?
Paimon:
Looks like we'll have to look around for the other two Astral Assemblages, then!
Secret Source Servant:
Scanning... This location... The path to the Celestial Axis has been sealed. Core Astral Assemblage has been activated...
Secret Source Servant:
Re-stabilize the Astral Assemblages to initiate the opening of the path ahead...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh!
Secret Source Servant:
*whirr-click*...
Secret Source Servant:
"It seems you have finally restored the two Astral Assemblages to normal operation... Soon, the phlogiston concentration here should be sufficient to reactivate the communications device..."
Secret Source Servant:
"In the meantime, please wait a little longer. You have already done well, for a human."
Secret Source Servant:
"I am not. Ehecatl's existence has dissipated in full... not long ago, in fact. And though names matter little here, the name left to this body is..."
Secret Source Servant:
"'Almighty Amaru, the Hallowed Lord'... *sigh* The original bearer of this name was a fool through and through."
Secret Source Servant:
"You may simply name it 'Amaru.'"
Paimon:
Amaru?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr?
Secret Source Servant:
"In life, he was arrogant, unrestrained in speech, brainless, and aggravating... But in the war, he held the threshold of the sealed Celestial Axis until his final breath..."
Secret Source Servant:
"This is that very spot, and that is why I placed the Secret Source Servant who once waited on him here... It is happy to guard the Axis in its master's place, or so I imagine."
Secret Source Servant:
Increase in phlogiston concentration detected... Circuit check complete... *whirring*
Secret Source Servant:
Lift shaft — Celestial Axis, restarted.
Secret Source Servant:
"It appears we are almost done. Please proceed deeper within."
Secret Source Servant:
Increase in phlogiston concentration detected... Circuit check complete... *whirring*
Secret Source Servant:
Lift shaft — Celestial Pillar, restarted.
Paimon:
Oh, Chosen One, Chosen of Dragons...
Paimon:
Traverse the eternal city. Venture into the Heart of the Sacred Mountain.
Paimon:
Banish... the great enemy cloaked in shadow. Ignite... the frigid embers...
Paimon:
*cough* H—How's everyone? Still okay?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rroooh...
Paimon:
Is your head okay? After all, you did fall from really high up...
Paimon:
You're not hurt, are you?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hmm, you seem fine. What about you, 旅行者? Are you okay?
Paimon:
Pfft, "in one piece"? Are you serious? *sigh* Paimon's just glad you're not hurt.
Paimon:
Still... Who'd have thought there'd be such a huge space underneath this volcano? It's super dark here, though...
Traveler:
Time for you to shine, Paimon! Give us some light!
Paimon:
Oh, no problem, let Paimon just go ahead and... AS IF! Paimon's no glow-in-the-dark pixie! There's nothing here to work with, fire's the only way we're getting any light!
Paimon:
Let's just... explore the area a bit first, okay?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hmm? {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? What's up? Found something?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Whrooawr!
Paimon:
Hmm. This... is the statue that Qucusaur had. So it dropped down here as well...
Paimon:
Y'know, it kinda looks like you, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}, but with big ears, and rolled into a ball.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr!
Paimon:
Really? You don't think so? Paimon sure does...
Paimon:
Whoa! It's moving!
Ehecatl:
*whirr*...*click*...
Ehecatl:
Self-diagnostic in progress... Moderate dust accumulation in joints... Storage medium activated... Speech... remote extraction... Override permitted... *clicking*... Personality module correction...
Ehecatl:
...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr?
Paimon:
Huh, so this was some kinda mechanism, not a statue... Well, it does look like those Source Mechanisms. And that strange light floating around it... Feels like we've seen that before somewhere...
Paimon:
Hmm? Why has it stopped moving?
Ehecatl:
"Warggh!"
Paimon:
Aaaahhh!
Ehecatl:
"Ah. It seems my voice module works. Well then, honored guests. I have awaited you for a long... Sorry, is something the matter?"
Paimon:
Did you have to suddenly make that loud noise? You scared Paimon to death!
Ehecatl:
"Did I? Then that is well. A dynamic entrance is the only way to leave a lasting impression. Otherwise, I'd worry that you might feel I was neglecting you..."
Paimon:
Err, sorry. Who are you again?
Ehecatl:
"Who am I, you say? Well, this body's name is Ehecatl, and you may so call it, but such things as names hold little meaning here..."
Ehecatl:
Individual designation modification request... Via records... 150 years after the war... Designation changed to one from a list of the fallen — Ehecatl.
Ehecatl:
"Yes, indeed. Since then, this body has been named Ehecatl..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Ehecatl:
"Yes, it was I who called you here. Come, let us go unto the Heart of the Sacred Mountain... before it is too late."
Ehecatl:
"That said, we are not yet in a hurry. Let Ehecatl clear away at least some smidgen of the darkness that lies before you. I know you must have your doubts, but please, follow me for now."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrr...Rroo...
Paimon:
What's wrong? You don't look like you're doing so hot...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawrgh!
Paimon:
Is that... the Abyss?
Secret Source Servant:
"Indeed... Abyssal creatures invade the Sacred City of Tollan like an irremediable pestilence."
Secret Source Servant:
"At this point, it may even be impossible to contain their march completely without bringing the Sacred Mountain itself down around us..."
Traveler:
When you discover one Abyssal creature...
Secret Source Servant:
"Then perhaps your home is already completely infested with those stygian, viscid villains..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roar...
Paimon:
Ugh, why do you guys have to be so creepy about it?
Traveler:
We'll chop their legs off — that'll put a stop to any marching they might do!
Paimon:
Ooh, how very wise and insightful, now all we need to do is find their legs... Ha! As if Paimon could say that with a straight face!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr?
Secret Source Servant:
"Haha. 'Tis a shame, little one, but I fear most Abyssal creatures may not need legs for locomotion."
Secret Source Servant:
"...Only by destroying the shadowy foe that bars our path may you pass through this place and reach the Sacred Mountain's heart."
Secret Source Servant:
"Nothing can be done now to restore the glory this ravaged city had of old, but neither should its carcass be left to the tender mercies of these dark monsters."
Traveler:
Wait, don't you have those big fireballs...?
Paimon:
That's right. Don't you use them to fight the Abyss?
Secret Source Servant:
"Fireballs... You mean the Astral Assemblages? Nay, they may only trigger mutual annihilation on contact with the Abyss. Otherwise, they will instead be corrupted and enveloped by the dark..."
Secret Source Servant:
"Alas, this city has been sealed off for too long... And the Astral Assemblages have been prevented from moving freely to maintain its stability..."
Secret Source Servant:
"O Chosen of Dragons..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr?
Secret Source Servant:
"The Heart of the Sacred Mountain was re-excavated after Tollan was established... and the first Secret Source Dragon Idol stands guard over it."
Secret Source Servant:
"You must obtain a permit to gain access to the Heart..."
Secret Source Servant:
"But the power source of the Idol has also been corrupted. We must find some way to reactivate it..."
Secret Source Servant:
"They..." Warning. Functions damaged. Shutdown imminent... "Ah, looks like this machine is..."
Paimon:
Amaru? Hey, Amaru! What permit? C'mon, you'd barely started talking!
Secret Source Servant:
"Heh... Keep pressing on. A new Secret Source Servant shall guide you there..."
Secret Source Servant:
*whirr-click*...
Secret Source Servant:
"This is the map of the Sacred City's core. I will... await you at..."
Paimon:
Ah, and the light's gone out again...
Paimon:
Guess this "Amaru" guy isn't gonna be talking to us anymore, huh?
Secret Source Servant:
...
Paimon:
He really just does whatever he feels like, huh... Not much we can do but forge ahead and see if we can't rustle up a new Secret Source Servant...
The guide who has possessed the Secret Source Servant seems intent on guiding visitors to the "Heart of the Sacred Mountain"... However, getting there appears to require a permit, along with the activation of the Secret Source Dragon Idol guarding the entrance. Perhaps the Secret Source Servant can shed more light on the situation...
Traveler:
Show me the records concerning "Corrosion and Physical Conditions"...
Secret Source Servant:
Of course. Now reading, please wait.
Secret Source Servant:
Record playback complete.
Traveler:
Please mark the next site Abyssal corrosion site...
Secret Source Servant:
Affirmative. It has been marked... Please clear the Abyss-corrupted zone as soon as possible to retrieve the data stored there.
Secret Source Servant:
From there, the database may be restored, preserved, and maintained, such that the required content may be accessed.
Traveler:
Show me the entries for "Humans... and Exceptional Individuals Thereof"
Secret Source Servant:
Of course. Now reading, please wait.
Secret Source Servant:
Record playback complete.
Traveler:
How do we enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain?
Secret Source Servant:
The entrance to the Heart is close by. When recreating Tollan's city center, Lord Xiuhcoatl excavated downward in order to create a stable experimental environment...
Secret Source Servant:
And there, he built the ultimate weapon for use against the Abyss.
Secret Source Servant:
However, the seal has caused this device to suffer from the deepest Abyss corrosion. Thus was the city taken over...
Secret Source Servant:
The entrance to the Sacred Mountain's heart lies beneath the fissures in the Sacred City... That is also where our shadowy foe's corruption runs the deepest.
Secret Source Servant:
Do you have any other inquiries? Or do you wish to mark out the next location where retrievable data might be stored?
Traveler:
Let's access the data we've recovered...
Secret Source Servant:
Reading corresponding content... What records do you need to access?
Traveler:
I don't have further questions...
Secret Source Servant:
Understood.
Secret Source Servant:
Greetings. New data recovery category detected.
Secret Source Servant:
...Entries concerning Source Mechanism energy cores have been updated.
Secret Source Servant:
Phlogiston is the main form of energy that powers Source Mechanisms, albeit in a condensed form that closely resembles light.
Secret Source Servant:
Stable amounts of Phlogiston Units may be generated via the controlled reaction known as [DATA LOST] allowing for more precise control over energy release.
Secret Source Servant:
The energy that a Source Mechanism requires is dependent on both size and the complexity of its operating logic. The quantity of Phlogiston Units a Secret Source Servant requires is [DATA LOST]...
Secret Source Servant:
While the larger Secret Source Dragon Idols, in fact, require less — specifically, three in number.
Secret Source Servant:
"Information is energy, and energy is information." The data carrier you retrieved counts as a single Phlogiston Unit...
Traveler:
So one "Phlogiston Unit" is one fireball...
Secret Source Servant:
Yes, that is one way to look at it. You restored a Phlogiston Unit that had been corrupted by the Abyss. Only then could I extract anything from it...
Secret Source Servant:
They can also be used as substitute energy sources for Abyss-corroded Source Mechanisms.
Traveler:
Read me the entries marked "Creating the Secret Source Servants..."
Secret Source Servant:
Of course. Now reading, please wait.
Secret Source Servant:
Record playback complete.
Traveler:
Where can we get this permit...
Secret Source Servant:
According to the agreement and the edict issued by Lord Xiuhcoatl, entry to... The Heart of the Sacred Mountain, also known as "Huitzilopochtli"... the descendants of...
Secret Source Servant:
Proceed unto the Chamber of Deliberation to submit an application, and then wait for the permit to be issued.
Secret Source Servant:
If you wish to go there, I shall mark its location for you.
Secret Source Servant:
Do you have any queries?
Traveler:
How do we enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain?
Secret Source Servant:
The entrance to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain is at the newly-excavated entrance... descend into the deepest fissure of the volcano, where it is defended by a Secret Source Dragon Idol.
Secret Source Servant:
Moreover, any who wish to gain access to the Heart must also obtain a "permit"...
Secret Source Servant:
Only then can you gain the acknowledgement of the Secret Source Dragon Idol that stands guard... Heart of the Sacred Mountain, also known as Huitzilopochtli...
Traveler:
Where can we get this permit...
Secret Source Servant:
According to the agreement and the edict issued by Lord Xiuhcoatl, entry to... The Heart of the Sacred Mountain, also known as "Huitzilopochtli"... the descendants of...
Secret Source Servant:
Proceed unto the Chamber of Deliberation to submit an application, and then wait for the permit to be issued.
Traveler:
What about the energy source required by Secret Source Dragon Idols?
Secret Source Servant:
Now, searching... No corresponding data entry categories... Or perhaps the relevant data, like so much else, has become lost due to the Abyssal corruption of the city...
Secret Source Servant:
If you can eliminate the Abyss's influence and retrieve the data, perhaps you might find the entries you seek.
Secret Source Servant:
I have marked out a potential data storage location for you. Please eliminate the Abyssal corruption present there to restore the area.
Secret Source Servant:
Do you have any queries?
Traveler:
I have no more questions...
Secret Source Servant:
Understood.
Traveler:
It's fine. There isn't anything I'd like to read right now.
Secret Source Servant:
Understood.
Paimon:
Ah! A Secret Source Servant... Huh. Is it just Paimon, or is this one bigger than the others?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Secret Source Servant:
?
Paimon:
Hehe, fancy meeting you again so soon!
Secret Source Servant:
...Apologies, but there are no entries regarding you logged in my database.
Secret Source Servant:
Humans this far down... This has not happened in at least 500 years.
Paimon:
Wait, you're not Amaru... or Ehecatl, are you?
Secret Source Servant:
...There were indeed individuals referred to as such, but I am neither of them.
Secret Source Servant:
I believe there must be some misunderstanding.
Secret Source Servant:
I am a prototype created to assist Lord Xiuhcoatl with information recording, so I have no name.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roar...
Secret Source Servant:
Wait... No... Not that I have no name, I...
Secret Source Servant:
I am the only intelligent Secret Source Servant without a master. Even after Lord Xiuhcoatl fell, I was still in charge of the most basic...
Secret Source Servant:
The most basic city maintenance and information recording functions.
Secret Source Servant:
However, some records have been lost due to the invasion of our shadowy foe, so I do not have data regarding my name.
Paimon:
Yeah, seems like we've got the wrong guy... Err, dragon-robot?
Secret Source Servant:
It is fine.
Paimon:
Hmm. This robot is huge, but it doesn't seem too bright.
Paimon:
This probably isn't that guy who uses machines to talk to us, 旅行者...
Paimon:
But it did say that it is in charge of record-keeping and stuff, right?
Paimon:
Why don't we ask it what it knows, then? Or... You know, about how we can reach the Heart of the Sacred Mountain!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
Let's access the data we've recovered...
Secret Source Servant:
Apologies, but I do not have any restored data at present...
Traveler:
How do we enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain?
Secret Source Servant:
The entrance to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain is at the newly-excavated entrance... descend into the deepest fissure of the volcano, where it is defended by a Secret Source Dragon Idol.
Secret Source Servant:
Moreover, any who wish to gain access to the Heart must also obtain a "permit," and for safety reasons...
Secret Source Servant:
Only then can you gain the acknowledgement of the Secret Source Dragon Idol that stands guard... Heart of the Sacred Mountain, also known as Huitzilopochtli...
The Heart of the Sacred Mountain is infested by the Abyss. Its influence must be eliminated.
Paimon:
Huh... Who'd have thought there'd be such a huge space underneath this volcano?
Paimon:
And it's wall-to-wall Abyss in here... Now that Paimon thinks about it, the Abyss covering the entrance probably crawled up from down here...
Paimon:
O Chosen of Dragons, the power of blazing fire now rests within you...
Paimon:
Go forth and vanquish the great enemy cloaked in shadow!
Paimon:
Huh. What's this fuzzy warm strength Paimon feels all over...?
Paimon:
Eh, that's a "later" question. Let's use it to send the Abyss packing, right here and now!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Find and stabilize the Astral Assemblage(s) to activate the Celestial Axis at the center of the Sacred City...
As you immerse yourself in the liquid Phlogiston, images flash through your mind like warm memories.
Beside the flaming pool, the silver-white and ash-covered shadows converse as such...
"...Phase Two experimental verification is complete. I name the thing that shall purify all and evolve all 'Huitzilopochtli,' or the 'Sweeping Skyfire'..."
"Not that this matters. Names shall lose meaning in this place very soon, after all."
Immerse:
"The Astral Assemblages must be activated and actively attached to serve as countermeasures against corruption. Before they are completely warped by the Abyss, they will self-destruct and eliminate its influence..."
Immerse:
But how will you accurately identify targets as having been corrupted? A controllable specimen...
Immerse:
Self-experimentation? Has sanity deserted you?
"Hah. This too, is well. If nothing else, this decrepit body may still serve in this manner."
Immerse:
So, you shall be the least likely to survive once this system is activated, then?
Immerse:
Has the Abyss at last rotted your mind? Or... do you simply wish for all your kin to be martyred upon your funeral pyre?
"Such little faith you have in your people! All the lords have consented to this, save you."
Immerse:
They merely follow your plan as though blind, never once considering the true meaning behind the scheme... This action does not have my consent.
"...That matters little. Destruction... shall also be rebirth. I have made my mind up as such."
"Hah... I fear this is as much time as I can spend awake each day. In any case, I shall activate it once all is prepared."
Immerse:
Is there no room for a different course? I am still searching for another way... Are you certain that you are not bathing the world in flame over some personal grudge?
"Perhaps! I will do anything it takes to keep our shadow-foe beyond the circles of this world."
"Hah. Besides, 'another way,' you say... Will you really find what you seek from those 'humans' of yours? You are in too deep already. I see it..."
"I once tried to make you understand... But just as it was with those of our line who sought wisdom through the pools of flame, knowledge and acceptance are two different things."
Immerse:
...
"If you believe that I simply wish for 'destruction,' whereas you have a world you wish to construct... Then stop me. Slay me. Prove yourself to me!"
"But know this, Kukulkan, though it be not prophecy — simply advice from one who once walked this path. A day shall come..."
"...When you shall tread the same road as I."
Having obtained the permit, the time has arrived for you to activate the Secret Source Dragon Idol and enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain.
Secret Source Dragon Idol:
(The Secret Source Dragon Idol that stands here... bears ancient signs of Abyssal corrosion...)
Secret Source Dragon Idol:
(Perhaps we should give it the permit and the replacement "energy"?)
Find and stabilize the Astral Assemblage(s) to activate the Celestial Axis at the center of the Sacred City...
The scene materializes before you like some nostalgic memory.
Operations stream along countless convolutions, flowing spectrum paths that shift across layered platforms.
The accumulated Phlogiston coalesces under immense pressure into a floating, controllable ball of heat.
"We've done it!" Your brethren cheer all around you.
Yet the one who masterminded this feat, in no way inferior to star-forging, stands outside the experimental site, as though wholly unrelated to this momentous deed.
Immerse:
Congratulations are in order. Creating something equivalent to a celestial body in miniature... An "Astral Assemblage," is it? Truly, a grand achievement, comparable with lunar reconstruction.
Immerse:
"That one" would surely have tucked their wings in and nodded congratulations to you — were they still with us.
Immerse:
"...If you had been willing to help, it might have been completed long ago."
Immerse:
I have no interest in it.
Immerse:
"...But you should help me, Kukulkan. We have driven the All-Plunderer's herald into the deepest of mountain valleys, yet once its master awakens..."
Immerse:
"It will surely bring another catastrophe upon our people."
Immerse:
Ah, how very noble of you, creating this thing to protect your pitiable brethren...
Immerse:
"'Our' pitiable brethren."
Immerse:
"This is only the beginning, and my days are numbered. I must forge a new path for the Dragonborn before the pitch-black shadow smothers us all."
Immerse:
Or, perhaps, you should let them find their own way... Forgive my forthrightness, but the path you plan to create may be too narrow for our kind.
Immerse:
"The narrow way must be walked. When your time runs short... When waiting becomes a luxury."
Immerse:
"Enough waiting, I say. A time will come, Kukulkan, when your days go down like the sun behind the hills, and you will understand. Then, you shall make the same decision as I have..."
Immerse:
...My king, my elder brother, O lord who gave me life on the day you yourself were born... On this alone I cannot concede to you.
Paimon:
Huh. That... Did we just see something that happened when this fireball was made?
Traveler:
You saw that too, Paimon?
Paimon:
Yeah, Paimon saw it super clearly this time as well... The ones surrounding this cake platform had to be the dragons who used to live here...
Paimon:
But who were the two people who were speaking, then? Weird...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Graawrr...
Paimon:
Anyway, the seal on the Astral Assemblage here should be broken now, right?
In order to uncover a path to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain, it appears you must obtain a permit from the Chamber of Deliberation...
Traveler:
A dragon judge... Is it just me, or is that familiar somehow?
Secret Source Servant:
"I fear you imagine quite the different beast."
Traveler:
Sounds like you don't like it here.
Secret Source Servant:
"And neither would you, were you ever to have been regarded as a criminal."
Secret Source Servant:
"Let us go. We shall see where they have hidden the permit..."
Secret Source Servant:
"It seems they have left it over there... Did they even think to hide it at all?"
Secret Source Servant:
"Still, it seems but an empty shell..."
Paimon:
Hey, hey, what's with all these Rifthounds? Gah, that means the permit's...
Secret Source Servant:
"Gate security may have been neutralized, allowing them to take advantage of the opening and enter."
Paimon:
W—Wait, what do we do, then?
Secret Source Servant:
"No matter. We need only activate the Chamber of Deliberation's repair and purification facilities."
Secret Source Servant:
"They are over there..."
Paimon:
Whew, that's a wrap — finally! Guess we've got the permit to enter that "Heart of the Sacred Mountain" or whatever now!
Secret Source Servant:
"No. As I said before, this is merely the permit's empty shell..."
Secret Source Servant:
"A device made from a single scale, bereft of any information concerning its owner, cannot be converted into a permit."
Secret Source Servant:
"Otherwise, would it not have become some sort of master key, to be used by any old dragon?"
Traveler:
Quickly, bring a dragon of suitable status to the stand!
Paimon:
Where are we supposed to find a dragon... Hey, wait! Does {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} count?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrrawr?
Secret Source Servant:
"Not... at the moment, no."
Paimon:
Then what do we do?
Secret Source Servant:
"Long ago, after the great sovereign entered the Heart of the Sacred Mountain, there were some who had the authority to, yet did not, activate this permit."
Secret Source Servant:
"Perhaps this conspicuous specimen was placed here for that very purpose..."
Secret Source Servant:
"I knew you would arrive, and so I prepared a welcome of suitable pomp and circumstance..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Secret Source Servant:
"Though I know that you are only being polite, I am indeed glad to see you."
Paimon:
Huh, so it's you after all! So, uh, what are you calling yourself this time?
Secret Source Servant:
"This time, my name belonged to a scribe from the Chamber of Deliberation. In truth, he rarely ever touched quill or ink himself — not since the Secret Source Servants were invented, anyway."
Secret Source Servant:
"Awanyu... You may address me so."
Paimon:
Alright then, Awanyu. So, are you here to help us out with this "Sacred Mountain Heart Permit" thing?
Secret Source Servant:
"If you are without it, the Astral Assemblages within the Heart of the Sacred Mountain will attack upon detecting any unauthorized entry..."
Secret Source Servant:
"...I have extracted records from 'Awanyu.' According to them, the permit required to enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain has been placed above the Chamber of Deliberation."
Secret Source Servant:
"For that cause, I have no choice but to set foot in this place... This congress of arrogant fools, this assembly of those who gloried in their powerlessness."
Secret Source Servant:
"Not to mention a den of pretenders claiming the right to judge their own kin..."
Secret Source Servant:
"There it is, the engraving light that can activate the scale. That is the permit..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Phew, you can see the whole Sacred City from here!
Secret Source Servant:
"Indeed, the shadow of a glorious, unhappy past..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Wrroh... Rawrr?
Secret Source Servant:
"You wish to know the final outcome of that trial? Haha..."
Secret Source Servant:
"Of course, those who called for sacred judgment knew that the master of all light and flame was simply feigning death, but when the true king, only occasionally clear-minded, made an appearance in the flesh..."
Secret Source Servant:
"The Thirteen Lords and Three Princes, who before could not stop speaking, hastily withdrew their words, and the whole trial descended into farce, and was thus dissolved..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooo...
Secret Source Servant:
"Later on, the Three Princes would be slain in battle against humanity, while ten of the Thirteen Lords fell when the Sacred City of Tollan collapsed, with one remaining in Chichen Uctokah..."
Secret Source Servant:
"But one lord survives to the present day..."
Secret Source Servant:
"Though doubtless not in the form that it would have wished to maintain..."
Secret Source Servant:
"Alright. Let us continue into the Heart of the Sacred Mountain. There, all lies buried... including a yearning for the journey's end."
Secret Source Servant:
"My duty shall soon be discharged in full... Chosen of Dragons, if only you could have seen this place in its fullest splendor, its truest beauty..."
Secret Source Servant:
"Go, touch the flame-engraved light... Win permission to reach the Sacred Mountain's heart..."
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
...
Paimon:
Awanyu... Huh, gone again! Paimon was just getting used to using that name.
Paimon:
Still, the permit to enter the Heart of the Sacred Mountain is ours at last...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrroar...
Paimon:
The light on this side... It's gone...
Secret Source Servant:
Shadow foe threat detected...
Secret Source Servant:
Internal safeguard... Auto-repair mode activated...
Paimon:
Ah! Paimon never imagined there'd be these sorts of mechanisms inside a place like this... Those monsters never stood a chance!
Secret Source Servant:
"This place was built to outlast the very eons themselves. Not only does it bristle with defenses, but it is even capable of self-repair..."
Paimon:
It's so golden and shiny... Paimon wants to touch it!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Secret Source Servant:
"Haha, it would be best not to... It will not distinguish between 'friend' or 'foe'... It simply consumes everything it touches."
Secret Source Servant:
"...A crass and brutal approach. Hmph, the designs these fools came up with..."
Paimon:
Still, we can use it to open the shield covering the permit, right?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Anyway... Let's find a way to make this thing ascend, shall we?
In order to uncover a path to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain, it appears you must cleanse the Abyss that is corrupting the ancient ruins...
In order to uncover a path to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain, it appears you must cleanse the Abyss that is corrupting the ancient ruins...
In order to uncover a path to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain, it appears you must cleanse the Abyss that is corrupting the ancient ruins...