My Players Are So Fierce

1587: 533.

Lumina’s Land of Bliss_2

1587: 533.

Lumina’s Land of Bliss_2

“Oh, the Goat Men, they are quite a peculiar bunch.”

“I’ve visited their territory before.

While I haven’t been to the Underground Palace in Baphomet Canyon, I do know that the Goat Men have an ancient underground city hidden deep in the mountainous area between Mirror Lake in the Dark Mountain Range and the Grey Desert.”

“That deeply concealed city is called ‘Vidia Abyss City,’ a name revered by the Goat Men as their ancestral moniker.

They hold it in awe and refer to it as ‘King of All Curses.’”

“About a third of the Goat Men in the Dark Mountain Range live in that massive underground city.

The rest of them are either exiled failures or rebellious sorts who left voluntarily to try their luck elsewhere.”

“If you get the chance, you should definitely visit the Abyss City to witness the Goat Men’s ‘traditional mastery.’ These guys have elevated sacrificing rituals to an art form.

Speaking of which, the Shadow Elves’ arenas were inspired by them.”

“Those barbarians toss captured beings, along with their own warriors, into sacrificial arenas where the blood and corpses of the fallen are offered to their ancestors.”

“Classic heretical sect style—it really opened my eyes back then, when I was still young.”

Triss chattered away, sharing her past impressions of the Goat Men cities with Murphy.

What reassured Murphy was that this story didn’t feature Triss being comically chased around by Goat Men, a ‘humorous detail’ that often appeared in her tales.

Or maybe she did get into trouble, but she carefully omitted those embarrassing instances.

Murphy listened contentedly.

After Triss finished recounting her “glorious past,” he asked:

“Let’s set aside the Goat Men’s main city in the Dark Mountain Range for now.

During your visit, did you notice the writing they used?

That’s Creator Runes; I’m certain of it!

I suspect the Goat Men might just be some sort of ‘biological weapon’ created by the Creator.”

“Just like the Wolf People.”

“Not really.

The Goat Men’s civilization, though evil and scattered, is clearly far more advanced than the Wolf People.

Plus, they have numerous legends about the ‘Dark Age.’ Although these stories sound heretical, I’ve often used them as references for theological research.”

“I found that these tales are interlinked.”

Triss explained academically:

“While it’s possible that the ancestors of the Goat Men were a group of talented but overly boastful storytellers who fabricated seamless narratives, I lean more toward believing that they were once a civilized race with a complete historical heritage.

Something unknown happened that caused their civilization to collapse rapidly, leaving them in their current barbaric, bloodthirsty state.”

“As for the ancient runes you mentioned…”

“Meaningless!”

“Because the Goat Men themselves don’t understand those ancient texts.”

“They merely use them as part of their dark rituals.

However, if you’re able to decipher those runes, you might truly piece together the Goat Men’s forgotten past.”

“I still remember there’s a small organization in Abyss City, formed by the Goat Men elders, called ‘Dark Root.’ They’ve been searching for the true origin of the Goat Men and the truth behind the civilization’s catastrophic downfall.

If you find any leads, the Goat Men Slave Masters in Abyss City would be very willing to exchange information with you.”

“The Goat Men outside are a disorganized and undisciplined bunch of barbarians.

But the Goat Men in Abyss City have a somewhat primitive yet structured way of treating guests.

They hold a lot of valuable items, especially their Dark Cipher Vault!”

“Hey, let me tell you, that’s a true treasure trove.

It houses the black ceremonial robe set of the King of All Curses and a legendary set of weapons.

I almost…” *coughs* “Let’s not talk about old, dull memories.”

“In short, I think they’ve safeguarded the last remnants of their civilization.”

“They themselves think so too.”

“If I’m not mistaken, there’s a hidden outpost of ‘Dark Root’ near Hunger Mountain.

They’ve stationed sentries there to monitor the wicked tribes they exiled to Baphomet Canyon.”

“If you uncover any clues, you can go directly there to find them.”

“Hmm-hmm, excellent.

I’m growing more attached to you, Triss.”

Murphy got the information he needed, and burst into laughter, saying:

“Look forward to my good news.

You know some of our little players are very interested in the continent’s history.

I bet they’ll love the series of exploratory quests linked to the ‘Dark Root’ organization.”

“But before they set out, I need to first take a walk through the Underground Palace in Baphomet Canyon, at least to assess the monster strength there.

That way, they’ll be prepared.”

“You need to be careful.”

Upon hearing this, Triss reminded him:

“Though I didn’t search for the Underground Palace in Baphomet Canyon due to tight schedules and my reluctance to backtrack, Kazt·Heartdestroyer, an elder of Dark Root, warned me that the Baphomet Underground Palace is the Goat Men’s ‘Civilizational Heritage and Dark Tomb.’”

“He cryptically told me that ancient dark secrets are hidden in the palace.”

“He also said the palace swallows all unwelcome outsiders.

Those so-called civilized Goat Men never go near it, deeming it an ominous place.

Additionally, the palace is slightly larger than Abyss City; it’s a true labyrinth!”