Spirit of Craftsman

A letter for me from Blacksmith Karrod ...? Hmm, what use does he have for the soul of a Dwarf slave who is already dead ... Whatever the reason may be, I cannot refuse my friend's request. It has been less than ten years since Steelbender died, and I don't think it would be difficult to call his spirit up from the kingdom of Shilen.

This Well of Souls in the middle of the temple is connected to the kingdom of the dead, where Shilen rules. Shall we call it, say, a sort of mirror that lets us see into the kingdom of death? We abyssal celebrants call upon the spirits of our ancestors to seek their advice, or enemy generals that have been killed on the battlefield to learn their secrets, through this well of souls.

But to call upon a spirit of the dead from the well of souls and capture it in this world, something called a soul catcher is required. Sadly, I don't have a soul catcher with me, but you should be able to obtain one by going to Sorceress Harne in the village. I purchase all of my materials for spell casting or rituals from Harne. I will write you a letter of introduction, so go to Sorceress Harne

This zombie head is in excellent condition. The chin area moves well, and all the teeth are still intact. This will do.

... I command you in the name of the abyss which rules over death. I hereby seal you to this spirit of power ...

I have just transferred Steelbender's spirit, trapped in the soul catcher, into the head of the zombie and sealed it within. That should let him answer Karrod's questions. Please deliver this head to Blacksmith Karrod. We have applied a preservation oil on the zombie's head, but the effects do not last very long. After a few days, the head will decay and the spirit trapped within will escape back to the kingdom of the dead, so tell Karrod to finish his business with Steelbender before then.

You need a soul catcher? Planning on an exorcism ritual or something? The Abyssal Celebrants have conducted rituals to call the dead up from Shilen's kingdom for hundreds of years now, but I am always nervous -- long ago, the celebrants once called upon a dangerous entity that could not be sent back. Eventually, the elders were called upon to take care of the matter and the spirit was finally restrained, but as a result of that event many Celebrants lost their lives. The dead should be left dead. I do not attempt dangerous magic such as exorcism.

Anyhow, it seems that Cecktinon needs a soul catcher, so I guess I must make one. For that, I will need the bones of the dead. The older the bones, the better. Please do me a favor -- go to the abandoned School of Dark Arts and hunt the undead that take the form of skeletons. Gather ten undead bone fragments and come back to me. I will make you the soul catcher with those bones.

The School of Dark Arts is located southwest of the village. If you do not know the way there, ask Sentry Kayleen for directions.

Good, now I can create a soul catcher from this. Like a fisherman catches fish with his net, the Abyssal Celebrants can capture the spirits of the dead from the well of souls. But unless the spirit is tied to this world, it flows back into the well. That's why a soul catcher is necessary. Simply put, it is a sort of bowl where the spirit of the dead can be held.

Here, it is complete. When you go to the temple, please give Abyssal Celebrant Cecktinon my regards.

You have brought me the soul catcher. Now I can start the ritual calling upon the dead Dwarf's spirit. Did you say the slave's name was Roberto Steelbender?

While I am preparing for this ritual, there is one thing that you can do for me. It seems that Karrod has a lot to ask this Dwarven Village slave, so shouldn't we make it a little easier for them to talk? There are many zombies in the swamp area. Go and bring me the head of a zombie. Make sure it is not too decayed or mangled. When you have obtained the zombie's head, rub this oil on it so that it does not rot, then bring the head to me.

Steelbender's spirit is contained in this head? I see that Abyssal Celebrant Cecktinon went to great lengths for this. So now I can receive personal lessons from Steelbender about the refining of oriharukon. You've done well, my friend. For helping me out, I will give this sword to you. It may sound like I am boasting, but it's a very useful weapon. Put it to good use.

Now, shall we start ... Hey, Steelbender! What has it been, a decade now? Different head, but that dumb expression is still the same. Let's keep our welcomes short ... I've got a lot to ask you ...