A Traitorous History

Capture the Circle Librarian and learn what you can from him

Now that we have gained a true understanding of the eldritch horror that is the Cirlce of Thorns, it has become a matter of great import that we learn the full history of the war betwee the Oranbegans and the people of Mu. To this end, I have devised a cunning plan: We have learned that one of the Circle's librarians is present in the isles, no doubt to plunder the proud legacy of the Mu. We know that the usurped bodies the members of the the Circle inhabit are as vehicles to them, but I believe that they still feel all agonies inflicted on them. Thus, it may be possible to pry some information from this Librarian. I charge you with this task: Capture the Librarian and leanr what you can from him, by any means necessary!

The guard upon this Librarian will likely not be strong. Strike swiftly and catch him. And after you've learned what you can, I don't care what befalls the mortal shell he now controls.

A history of the war, written by an Oranbegan traitor? I would be intrigued even if obtaining a copy did not involve causing humiliation and grief to the Legacy Chain and Longbow. I must have this history! And you, you shall help me attain it.

Kidnap Legacy representative

I have thrown wide the net of my resources, and have gathered a valuable catch of information. There is a representative of the Legacy Chain who is even now working with Longbow. They plan to transfer over a series of books under heavy guard, so that the Legacy Chain may use them. As far as I can tell, the books are not in themselves magical, and are rumoured to have originally been hand-written. I believe that these may well be the written history of the Oranbegan war you leanred about from the Circle Librarian. I want to know when and where the books are due to arrive, and I would task you to find out by capturing this representative of the Legacy Chain.

The Legacy Chain themselves are so far beneath your power that I doubt the representative will be able to fight you. His Longbow guardians, on the other hand, will likely be most adamant in preventing your escape.

Longbow is able to operate in the open in these parts of the Isles, acting as beacons of hope to the oppressed people of other Islands. Hopes you will soon crush.

Mission Complete: You kidnapped the Legacy Chain's representative.

Our books will be well protected

The Legacy Chain Representative said something to you before Arachnos officers took him away for further interrogations:

'You may think you've won, but you have not. Try your best to take the books. Aurora Borealis herself will be guarding them!'

The Legacy Chain mystic keeps to his story. It seems that Aurora Borealis herself will be bringing a copy of Akarist's history to the Isles. I must have those books, but this is a dangerous complication. I would strongly suggest gathering a number of associates if you haven't already. You may need the assistance, because I will not be deterred in getting those books.

Defeat Aurora Borealis and take the books within 2 hours

The history of the war between the ancestors of Mu and the hated Oranbegans is even now beig delivered into the hands of the enemies of Arachnos. I will have it, and you shall get it for me. But this will not be easy. The heroine Aurora Borealis travels with them, no doubt watching over them psychically as well as physically. You are to steal those books, and defeat Aurora Borealis so that we can break her psychic watch over them. Se warned that there is a limited amount of time for this. If the books are not in out possession and Aurora Borealis defeated within 2 hours, they may be able to recall them back to Paragon City using their teleport network.

You must defeat Aurora Borealis and take the books. One without the other will allow Paragon City's vigilantes to recover the books before we can examine them.

This is the right place and time. Now, you just have to defeat one of the most powerful psychics in the world and steal the books she was set to guard within 2 hours.

Objective: You have defeated Aurora Borealis, breaking her connection to the books.

Objective: You found the books!

An Excerpt: Hequat and the Mu

This passage is handwritten in a spidery script. It serves as a preface to the first book of the history of the Mu-Oranbegan war:

'Though we did not know of them until the War, the Mu had been our sworn enemy for hundreds of years. Within a fortress-island forged of iron and fear they had been trained to hate us and to fight against us for generations. Their Goddess demanded it, and they obeyed her in all ways. They believed that their chosen place upon this world was to serve as the rightous implement of her will, and in their deeds and customs did they enshrine this so that to do otherwise would be unthinkable. At her command they performed generations of what would now be called eugenic breeding in order to strengthen the magical power within their blood lines to unheard of levels. At her command the crushed all contrary thought, and made no art that did not praise her name. At her command they attacked our peaceful Oranbega on a spring day, sewing ruin on our city and bringing war to us after it had become forgotten in our lands. The name of this Goddess was Hequat.'

'Hequat was in our myths as well, for it was her followers who had hounded us from our lands and drove our forbears into the sea. In our myths she was the former lover of Ermeeth, the god who taught our people the magic he had learned from fabled Tielekku. Hequat was also Ermeeths' greatest foe, and it was from her armies we had fled under one sea and across another to the land we would call Oranbega. We had thought Ermeeth and Hequat both legends until her soldiers came one fateful spring to burn our world away.'

'Hequat hated Oranbega then, and would hate that which we have become even more. However, it must be remembered that her hatred stemmed from our refusal to bow down to the gods in all things, as she thought was proper for mortals. That apsect may bode ill for the peoples and cultures of this modern era.'

An Excerpt: The Cost of Mercy

This passage is handwritten in a spidery script. it serves as a preface to the last book of the history of war:

'When our people were pressed by the Mu, we took drastic measures. First we sank our city beneath the earth to shelter us from bombardment by Mu sky ships. Then, when we found we still were sorely pressed, we turned to other powers from darker worlds. A Prince of Demons came to us and offered us his aid. The Circle of Thorns, the ruling council of Oranbega, debated greatly, but in the end we bargained with him.'

'His first gift to us was the Thorn Blades, Demon-swords that turned men into blood-frenzied monsters. Armed with these we turned the tide, and the slaughter was indescribable.'

'The wizards of Mu found new tactics, however, and blunted our attack. Again we struck bargains with the prince of Demons, and he brought forth troops to fight on our behalf from the depths of Hell. With wraiths and specters did we march upon the Mu. With Behemoths of the land and Leviathans of the sea did we fall upon their men, their city, their very land. The fiends had bargained for the slaughter of every last man, child, and woman of Mu, and on that fine point we faltered. We still felt mercy for them, pity even, as we saw in them what might have become of us. We let some Mu escape to far shores. When the fiends discovered this, they were both outraged and gleeful, for they had hoped for just such an outcome. In the end we had to sacrifice our mortal forms, and were only able to escape the wrath of the fiends as bodiless spirits in our sunken city. Such was the cost we paid for our mercy.'

Aurora Borealis [Hero] Before the Rikti War, Aurora Scott was just a fledgling hero doing her best for the city she loved. Afterward, she was something else entirely. Aurora played host to Sister Psyche's mind after the Freedom Phalanx heroine was injured in the war. After gladly sacrificing her autonomy so that Sister Psyche could continue to serve, Aurora's just now returning to her own life. And she's got a few bones to pick with the villains who flourished in her absence.

Mission Complete: You got the books and defeated Aurora Borealis.

These books are full of nothing but Oranbegan lies! The people of Mu as slaves to our beloved Goddess? The survival of our people dependant on Oranbegan mercy? They even claim that the glorious and honorable people of Mu attacked the Oranbegans first! These books are worse than useless! All this effort for these untruths. It will take years of effort to pry the few truths from the lies penned by this traitor Akarist. Bah!

But as for you: You have done well. That these books are filled with falsehoods and Oranbegan vabnities is no fault of yours. I shall note how well you have done, should any ask it of me.