| Text | - This enormous shard of red coral served as the heart of a Slag Golem you destroyed. When you hold it, you feel alien thoughts brush against your mind, calling to the sea.
- And what do you bring to Tarixus? A letter? From a member of the Circle of Thorns. My arcane senses detect no threat. Hold it for me, that I may see it.
Maros! I know that name. So, you are working with him. That should prove most interesting. No doubt he sends you to me to ensure that I will not act against him. Then, you may return this answer.
I will agree not to interfere with Maros's plans, as long as he does a task for me. Several of his fellows from the Circle of Thorns have gathered in an old mine nearby. No doubt they plan against me. I would see them removed. No, destroyed. Tell that to Maros, tell him that is the price to keep our affairs separate.
- These weapons you stole from a Longbow base were clearly designed by a brilliant mind.
- This ancient papyrus scroll is simply breathtaking. The central picture shows a powerful woman seated on a throne of gold, surrounded by faded pictograms. It would take an expert in esoteric lost languages to decipher these markings.
- The Gatherer's half-mad ravings are scrawled over many pages of notes, but among them you find a recent message sent to him from someone called 'Metal Shift':
'Our enemies on the mainland, the poor deluded fools who still follow Dreck and Bile and Clamor and even Upstart, they have found a way to tap our communication. We cannot let them know of the Holy One's plan. And there has been a change to that plan. The Holy One tells me that there is one in particular we must find. A Villain, but one is being watched even now by Lord Recluse and his spies. This may have been the same interloper who freed the Heretic Ohmtown. The Holy One has given us a description of the Heretic. Destroy the unclean one without delay. Fates have bounds us together, and the Holy One has foreseen this as well.'
You know before you even start reading the description that it matches you perfectly.
- You extracted some information from the Freakshow leader called Metal Shift after you defeated him:
'This isn't a victory, heretic! The Holy One, the Shaper Lord, he sees all. He has been, and is to come. He tells us to change ourselves, and we change. He tells us to gather Coral, and we gather it. Calystix the Shaper will re-create us all, and we shall change anew, forever! But you! You will fall into the maw of the sleeper below, and be consumed for all time!'
Amid all the babbling, the name 'Calystix the Shaper' stands out. It might be worth investigating.
- 4.4180640192E11
- Like all of you!
I used to be normal. What am I supposed to be now?'
- Like...
- The mad Tank Freak called The Gatherer wouldn't stop talking, even after he was defeated:
'The forms of old, the ancient ratios, they will come soon. All is ratio, there is no shape. We will become a blend, we shall change to new forms, Metal Shift has told us. He is the disciple. Metal Shift is the head on the body ever-changing, ever-growing. There will be no end, no future, all will be as one! We are the cult of the Shaper! We are without form! We are immortality!'
- This handwritten book contains descriptions, chants, and eldritch formulae for a number of dark magic rituals. It has no listed author, but is dated 1592. An aura of malevolence clings to each page.
- Wassup. I'm Ohmtown, Freak Juicer representin' Talos Island out in Paragon. My main man Drek, he sent me out here to find out what's going down here in Sharkhead. Bunch of our boys is gettin' all kinda crazy ideas. Talking 'bout cults and corals and golems and stuff. I just got off the boat, an' was on my way to talk to this Doc Buzzsaw chick, when these Circle psychos jumped me. Started askin' what I knew, which was nothin. 'Least, nothin' yet.
- After defeating Calystix the Shaper, you had a few moments to look at the body. Whatever he was, he was clearly not a human being. Strange masses of polyps lost cohesion to fan out, and small cilia still beat the air. Calystix's body seemed to be unfolding into a miniature coral reef before your eyes. To be honest, you weren't even sure if it was the end of him, but the ceremony was over and your job was done.
- Barracuda is the lieutenant of Cap'n Mako, who is one of Lord Recluse's inner circle. You're a little surprised to meet her, but she doesn't seem hostile at the moment. She even told you some of what she was doing here.
'I'm not here to fight you. I think we're both looking for some information. I heard that the Freakshow have been gathering Coral Shards. Cap'n Mako demands first bid on all Coral Shards recovered on Sharkhead Isle, so I thought I'd investigate. Turns out most Freaks don't know anything about it, but this group, they're swimming in them. What I couldn't figure out was why weren't they selling them?
So I kept digging and I heard about this weird cult. Something tells me that there's more to this than the normal weirdness the Freakshow get into. Look, I have a feeling that this is going to be kind of personal for me, so do yourself a favor, and don't get in my way. There are some things about this cult I need to know, and so long as you don't interfere, we'll be okay.'
- These strange red crystals were dug from the remains of Slag Golems.
- After you rescued him from the Freakshow cultists, Ohmtown told you what he'd learned:
'Yo money, whassup? You know it, I been on a mission from my main man, Drek. He asks me to check out what's goin' down on Sharkhead Isle, right? So I get jumped by these Freaks who's talkin' all crazy, an I mean crazier than normal, know what I'm sayin'? You got me out of that, so we cool.
- You recovered these plans from a secret Longbow base. They show how to replicate the technology of Paragon City's android hero, Citadel
- Metal Shift continued to ramble even after you defeated him:
'I've failed you, Holy One. I did the best I could. I only hope that you'll remember me as you devour the sacrifice and the world.'
As his power faded, you could make out a few important points in his rambling. In particular, you think you may be able to figure out where Calystix is from certain details.
- So I kept up investigatin', and I found out that these crazy freaks, they a cult now. They still kinda small, but a lot of freaks are gettin' sucked in. If it's this bad, I'm gonna have to get some face-breakahs out here to handle it.'
- Metal Shift continued to ramble even after you defeated him:
After you got him out of a jam, Ohmtown told you what the situation was with the Cult of the Shaper and the Freakshow:
'Thanks for the hand, man. Those cult suckas cut me off from my crew. Who have all been told you a friend in here, so we cool. Meantime, I tol' Drek what's up, and he got it taken care of. Cult's over, yo. Nothin' left but clean up the Freaks who won't give it up.'
- Before Arachnos's medical system recalled her to safety, Barracuda stuttered a few angry words at you:
'All you had to do was not interfere. I just want to know what happened to me. What made me like this. And I remembered that name: 'Calystix'. I have to know. I was just a diver. I just wanted to be in the ocean. I never wanted to be like this. I never wanted to be a monster like...
- Your seasoned eye can tell that these explosives would pack quite a punch.
- This stolen armor looks like it could stop even the most advanced weaponry.
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