Chapter 225. Ked Bardu

[ Side Quest issued - Maglin Devotion

Objective: Travel to Alzuuda in search of Lakren, the mason

Description: A builder named Laakren has put out a call for workers to find him if they wish to help 'rebuild Sanctuary.'

You should seek out this Larken and inquire about his offer. ]

Reading the extra details, such as the bit about 'rebuilding Sanctuary,' Michael wondered if the mason was right in the head.

Anyway, since it was important enough to get a Side Quest about it, he would investigate it if he had time.

Something seems to have happened in the Dry Steppes since he heard an interesting conversation between a mother and her child.

[When can we go home? Ked Bardu smells like smoke, the food is too salty, and yak fur is itchy.](Jamtso)

[Shush. This is home now.](Sarnai)

Realizing that another disastrous event might have occurred, forcing people to relocate, the Necromancer kept his ears and eyes wide open, hoping to gain more intel just by moving around the big city.

Among the chatter, the sounds of a man sobbing and the heartless response of a guard surprised him somewhat.

[The cannibal attacks have people frightened, and fear is good for business.](Dorjee)

[Don't say that, Dorjee. Who knows who might be listening? Come. Keep walking!](?)

As for the one listening, he was a bit stumped after hearing about cannibals. It wasn't that unheard of since there were plenty of monsters and demons enjoying human meat, but the word 'cannibal' was reserved for those humans taking delight in the flesh of their kin.

Michael approached the forge, worried about having to face such enemies since they were already at the bottom of the barrel, and nothing would be too low for them. 

One of the Blacksmiths of Ked Bardu was the Questgiver. A Barbarian woman named Gerti.

[*Sigh* My eyes can only watch so much..](Gerti)

"Is something wrong?"

[Hmm? A Wanderer? I see... Maybe you can help. The great axe of the Oxen Tribe has gone missing from the forge. Stolen by swift hands. It is a heirloom of Raekor, Warmaster of Change. Its edge claimed countless demons upon Arreat yet showed no wear. Its craft matched its keeper.](Gerti)

"An amazing weapon, no doubt. Any leads on who might be responsible for the theft?"

[The Triune has tried to take it before. Cubs looking to prove their worth. They learned their place but remained persistent. We've seen them hiding around the ruins on the southern coast. If they have the axe, it's sure to be there.](Gerti)

"The Triune? I am not familiar with them. Thieves?"

[Well... not really. They are similar to the Cathedral of Light, a religious organization. Hmm... where did I put it? Here! You can take this one. I have five more copies.](Gerti)

When he received a book titled Chronicles of Triune, Michael almost started reading it immediately but resisted the temptation because he still had much to do.

Such as digging for more intel.

"Why would the Triune steal Raekor's axe?"

[Demon blood stains the axe from the haft to head. The blood of fiends who fed on children of Arreat. I'm sure it intrigues them. Draws them to worship, like all things foul and profane.](Gerti)

"I see. Can you tell me more about Raekor?"

[A Barbarian of great deeds! An Oxen Warmaster who stood taller than all others. She freed us from the Samauren and proved the strength of a warrior who would not kneel.](Gerti)

What followed next was the shortened biography of the woman named Raekor. Since he had asked, he also had to patiently listen to it, especially after seeing with how much pride Gerti spoke of her.

According to the Blacksmith, Raekor lived during a time when the Barbarian tribes were in conflict with the Samauren Empire.

During this conflict, Raekor liberated a fellow Barbarian named Joritz from a Samaurenian labor camp, and the two fought side by side as the camp was freed from their oppressors.

The two were later married, and on the wedding day, Joritz gifted her with a magnificent brigadine. At some point, Joritz suffered an untimely death; Raekor took his breeches as her own and wore them for the rest of her life.

She continued to fight against the Samuren Empire. Loren, panep of the Samaurenian people, stated that he would crush the Barbarians beneath his boots. Raekor took great delight in ripping them from his cold, dead feet; forever after, they symbolized her greatest triumph.

Raekor fought in the sacking of the Samuren Empire's capital. During the battle, her commander fell. Raekor stripped his spaulders from his body and donned them herself as she led her tribe's warriors to victory.

Upon her being granted the status of Warmaster, a set of ox-leather gloves was crafted for Raekor to commemorate her ascension to the position.

Her deeds of valor sparked a change in Barbarian culture. Barbarian women were held in high regard as warriors but were still seen as inferior to their male brethren on the battlefield. With Raekor achieving the status of Warmaster, this attitude changed.

Though the 'short story' deprived him of almost half an hour, Michael didn't feel too bad about it. After all, it was rather interesting to hear about how a woman's courage changed history.

Furthermore, she actually succeeded in sacking the damned capital of an Empire when she started as a laborer in the work camp. She was simply a more awesome female version of Spartacus!

[ Side Quest issued - Crucible of Worth

Objective: Retrieve the Great Axe of Raekor

Description: The Great Axe of Raekor has been stolen from the Oxen Tribe.

The Forgemaster, Gerti, suspects agents of the Triune are to blame. She asked you to seek them out at the southern tip of the Scarred Coast and recover the storied weapon. ]

Realizing that he might've botched Gerti's title as Blacksmith instead of Forgemaster, the clueless Necromancer decided to ask around later and find out the difference between the two.

Returning to wandering around the city, Michael kept his ears open and heard people mentioning the same things as before: continuous threats from outside the walls.

[Every day, I hear of a new threat in our lands.](Asmus)

[What of it? Our gates and people are strong.](Tove)

[Arrogance is what topples cities.](Asmus)

It was at this point that the Necromancer realized that the people of Ked Bardu were split into two gentries: one was made of native people, similar to the glenfolk, while the others were barbarian tribes.

Their behavior and values intermingled, but there were still stark differences. For example, the barbarians still preferred a direct fight over strategy.

What made him completely speechless was an open tent where a proud man was showing a crucified demon over four meters tall sitting in the 'Jesus position.' To make matters worse, some 'dissection work' was already performed on it, leaving a blood trail all the way to the tent's entrance.

[There are rumors of more demons in the east! That would make for a good fight!](Eivind)

But unlike the young folk admiring the killed demon, two older people were arguing nearby.

[The barbarians chose to ignore another crisis, I see.](Aasha)

[They're working, Aasha. Their craftsmanship built Ked Bardu.](Jehrelt)

[Well, next time they look up from their work, I hope they don't see a town that has been overrun with cannibals.](Aasha)

Making a mental note to inquire about these cannibals when he met later with Lorath, or if he didn't know anything, have Beatrice provide him the intel, Michael walked toward the next Quest marker.

He found Siban, a jar seller, sighing loud enough to attract passersby's attention.

"You seem troubled, sir."

[A Wanderer? Thank the Sanctuary! It's my sons, Ordun and Khada. They used to work here with me in Ked Bardu, but then they got it in their heads to set up a new shop in Jirandai. You know how young men get when they're of age. Desperate to prove themselves.](Siban)

"Jirandai. I see. What would you like me to do? Pass them a message from you?"

[If you are headed that way, would you mind checking up on them? The roads are so dangerous these days, and I haven't heard from them in so long.](Siban)

"Don't worry, I'll look into it."

After accepting the Quest, Michael's face dropped a bit, especially after seeing that the distance between Ked Bardu and Jirandai was almost as big, if not bigger, than the distance he traveled here this morning.

[ Side Quest issued - Corroding Mettle

Objective: Seek out Ordun and Khada in Jirandai

Description: A jar seller in Ked Bardu had asked you to check in on his sons, who left to open a shop in Jirandai. ]

With the Sanctuary basically saying 'no backsies,' the Necromancer was stuck with the Quest. 

Sighing, he mentally planned to figure out how to reach Jirandai, hoping his Main Quest would at least bring him to the area around it.

Something else he noticed in Ked Bardu and enjoyed a lot was the large number of cats. They were also super friendly, making him stop every few minutes to pet another who approached him.

[Lovely creatures, aren't they?](Lhagra)

"They are indeed."

[It's hard to walk down the streets when they've been flooded with the fried and sorrows of Guulrahn, but having these adorable little things helps.](Lhagra)

Intrigued by the name, Michael asked who Guulrahn was, only to be told that it wasn't the name of a person but a place.

Guulrahn is an ancient city that was a flourishing center of culture and trade within the Dry Steppes prior to its destruction. Its streets were said to smell of spices and incense. Water was fed to the city from the Jakha Basin via a canal system, and the Overseers, a line of slaver kings, ruled it.

One day, a stranger walked into the royal court unannounced and demanded that the city be given to him. The Overseers refused and threw them into the prisons. Inside there, the stranger struck a pact with Brol and his tribe of cannibals, who were also detained.

The cannibals were released and allowed to rampage the unsuspecting citizens. The villagers were rounded up to be killed and eaten, though some were locked in the prisons for later use. The Overseers were fed to demons.

Families that had lived in Guulrahn for generations were wiped out by its fall. A few survivors managed to escape the city, some fleeing to Ked Bardu. With its old rulers dead, a tyrant named Brol rose to power.

Shocked by the sudden news, Michael realized why the people were so worried about the cannibals. If they were strong enough to take down a city called the 'flourishing center of culture and trade within the Dry Steppes,' then they weren't some vagabonds easily dismissable.

The cannibals weren't the only problem, though. He heard a merchant arguing with his hired guards.

[The passes to the southwest are still blocked by bandits.](Sukh)

[How are we supposed to transport goods if we have to go around the damn pass? I paid for your swords, not faces, so use them!](Nachin)

[You did not pay me enough to get myself killed and eaten in those hills.](Sukh)

On second thought, it appeared that the bandits were also cannibals, making the Necromancer wonder if he was missing on the wonders of eating human flesh and if he should also indulge in some.

Chasing away his foolish thoughts, Michael approached the final Questgiver he could see on the MAP.

The man, Gelek, was arguing with one of his friends, who was apparently selling weapons. The argument sparked after a client asked about the swords' crafter.

[Are these weapons really barbarian-made?](?)

[What? Are you telling customers that barbarians made those shoddy swords of yours, Ugyen!?](Gelek)

[It's only when I'm struggling with sales...](Ugyen)

[You know, friend, if you're caught, they'll cut off those sly hands, so you're better off struggling than cripple.](Gelek)

After the Sanctuary helped him identify the Necromancer, Gelek saw Michael and realized that the man was a Wanderer. He smiled as if finally seeing a ray of sunshine after a very long storm.

"Hello. You look troubled."

[Thank the Sanctuary! Five times! Five times this month, those brigands have plundered incoming caravans. I care little for the stolen gold and spices, but those vultures take the food away as well! Now, those knaves gorge on our food while I watch my children waste away. Please, if you can recover any supplies, I'll personally see that your coin purse is filled.](Gleek)

After accepting the Quest, Michael realized that the area marked by the Sanctuary as the grounds for his mission was incredibly huge. It covered an area almost as large as the entire Kyovashad, Menestad, Nostrava, Nevesk, and their immediate surroundings combined.

That, coupled with the objective, made him realize just how much of a problem these cannibalistic bandits were.

[ Side Quest issued - Thieves' Famine

Objective: Collect Stolen Supplies from the bandits in the Kotama Grassland: 0/20 (can collect more)

Description: Merchant caravans carrying vital food and supplies are being waylaid by bandits outside of Ked Bardu.

The city's people now starve, and the situation will continue to worsen until the supplies are recovered and the source of the problem is dealt with. ]

With the last Side Quest accepted, Michael checked his watch. It was already 2 p.m., so he wasn't in too much of a hurry.

However, there was still the main task he came to Ked Bardu, so he headed toward the Inn to look for Teckrin.