Koku makes his way into the work room. Looking back the outside seems to darken and archaic vanishes from site. Moving in Koku sadly lacks stealth, and is quickly approached by a supervisor of some sort.
"What are you doing in here?"
Koku
"Finding out what is going on here. Why are these men chained up. What did they do, and why are you producing crappy water?"
Billgar
"CRAPPY WATER! AINT NO SUCH THING! these here are varimations of auter quality! Not everyone can afford water thats been labored over until its completely clean!"
Koku
"You only answered but one question that lacks a good answer. The water is not yours to sell, and these men are not your pets. You are despicable, give me a better reason, and give me a reason why I should not free these men now!" With that I make it clear that I am not afraid to attack by holding onto my stomp blades very tightly with one having the blade aimed at him.
Billgar
"Listen pal, I can see that your a guard but Ive never met you before. Clearly your new. Just overlook this little operation and get back to your rounds. Ive got a job to do."
The man turns his back to koku and walks back towards the chained men.
"I can hear your muscles relaxing! THAT IS NOT A SOOTHING SOUND!!" pulling out a whip he his a young man on the back with it. "Is that the best you can do? Work harder or I will ahv e your head!"
Koku
Figuring that it is best to do as he says, I start to walk around the area more, entering a small pathway if I find one to hopefully go to a new location. The people can wait, they will not die (or at least not most of them), so I figure a little bit more punishment will make them appreciate life more. The corrupt need to be punished, but to get that guy will sound too many alarms right now.
Billgar
Wandering around koku is clearly an unwanted guest. Noticing a door off to the side however, he helps himself with its opening and makes his wat to the next area. A river of disgusting polluted filth flows through there and some large screens are filtering it. Several more chained workers stand around occasionally running in and cleaning off a screen.
Koku
Seeing these chained people, I approach one guy and put my right index finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet. I whisper, "do not move, I just want to help" to him. I take my stomp blades and try to cut through the chains of the guy, and if that does not work, I try to smash it with the hammer side.
Billgar
You cut through the chains around the mans ankles and wrists. As soon as he is free, he ducks down and delivers a spinning back kick to your ribs.
Spoiler:
Koku 4824/5334
Koku
taking the damage I get up and kick him in the stomach. Once my foot lands I spin around and slice him with the stompblade in my right hand in his stomach, then follow through with a slice upwards with the stompblade in my left hand.
Billgar
Despite his pure skill at unarmed combat it seems that hsi defense was too slight. The man perishes quickly under kokus might. Another supervisor type person, different from the first approaches koku in a rage.
"Now what you go n do that for! You all know the deal. GUARDS LEAVE US ALONE! that means my workers too. Their minds are fragile. You cant treat them like this! Naow go un! Get out of here before you cause anymore trouble!"
Spoiler:
Koku 4824/5334
Koku
Seeing the guy I put one of my stomp blades away on my back and pick him up by the throat, being careful not to kill him in the process. "I am not an ordinary guard you worthless trash. Tell me who is running this scheme, and where to find them now! These men are not what I care about anymore, now it is more personal and about the creatures you are affecting. If you do not tell em I will ensure you a very long and painful demise!"
Billgar
the man panicking
"Listen! Listen! I..I just work here! Following orders, paying the bills! Bos is down that hall! es the one ya want, not me!"
Koku
"Very well, I shall spare you this time. Just do not go blabbing about my presence here or else I will come after you. You better make it up to the people up there. There are some good people up there who deserve better. Learn from them. I give you my word that I will not kill you less you provoke me."
With that I start to head towards the end of the hall, keeping an eye out for anyone trying to ambush me.
Billgar
Koku progresses down the hall. It seems that the man he threatened before even stays back keeping guard for him oddly enough. Koku gets to the end and open the large door leading to the room of whoever is in charge of the facility. A man stands with his back to the door staring at some sort of large map.
"Well....I did expect someone to interfere eventually. Afterall surely there must be some guards who are not corrupt? I suppose you are from the capital. Well. That should explain things.
What we are doing isnt purely evil you know. Its a service. The water needs to be purified. Those who have had their souls stolen still need to live. By chaining up these uncontrollable beasts, we give them the chance to keep living. Soulless vessles. . . . they work hard so long as they have fear for whoever is in charge.
Well......what is your decision? Will you kill me and end it all? Someone surely will step up into my place. The people above ground need water. Why dont you turn a blind eye to all of this and just return to the capital?"
The man turns around to look at koku. His face is maimed quite badly, and he is missing his right eye. No patch covers it, only an empty soket remains as a reminder of what he lost.
Koku
"Soulless vessels. I wonder how you were able to do that. That is not an easy task, and surely was done by something powerful." As I say this I make sure to keep my ears open for the guy in back of me as I look forward. "That is very strong power which has fallen into the wrong hands. While it is a service, is it not so hard as to pay the people for their business or find a less destructive way. Your unjust decisions make me sick."
Billgar
"Your disgust is noted. Do not think though the I lack sympathy. My kind heart is the very reason that I accept these beasts into my facility. Were I unkind, I would refuse and then they would surely just be slaughtered. No doubt by guards just like yourself."
Koku
"What happened to them to make them soulless exactly. Even the meanest person usually has a soul! Who did it exactly?"
After saying this I feel a kick in my sand cape. Loosening it I see my wass fall out onto the ground. I quickly pick him up as I watch the man in front and listen for the man in back.
Billgar
"Im not so sure about the details myself, but more than occasionally one of these savages is seen rampaging around the town. I have them brought into here, and then put them to work."
Koku
"So you are saying that someone outside your knowledge causes them to be barbaric. Well still no matter how it is, the fact you are having them filter water like slaves is not right. Furthermore, for the guards to be in on it, what do they get out of it! This is surely unjust, and someone needs to be punished!"
Billgar
"The guards get someone to take these men off their hands. Are you so simple to think that no matter how savage they are that people could be slaughtered endlessly by officials without the people taking notice or action?"
*the man starts to become vexed and his voice steadily escalates.*
"It is FOOLS like you who bring about the end of cultures! Who punish men for their genius! DONT BE SO NAIVE! I have done nothing wrong and neither have the guards! We are simply making the best out of a situation! These soulless...MINDLESS men cannot be allowed to wander the streets! In prison they would even bring about the death of others who crimes are less severe. We cannot simply execute them all! DONT YOU SEE!? this is the best.....NO! This is the only way of dealing with the situation!
If you think the situation so wrong then find another way yourself. They cannot be tamed nor soothed. Do you even understand what it means to have ones soul removed!? Speak not of matters that you dont understand!"
Koku
Without word I take out my stomp blades and quickly cut him down the middle. "You are the true fool. A man who lost his soul may be nothing of a brute, but surely they can be tamed and taught to be somewhat civil, and surely deserve better. You probably think some creatures are the same way. You are the fool with underestimating the true power that everything- even those without souls have. Without a value for your own life you can not value the lives of those around you, including these men. They are not mere pets. If you can train them to filter water than surely they still have some brain, some thoughts in them. They have wants too. It would not be so bad if they had some fresh water for themselves to drink, some fresh food to keep them nourished, and a nice place to be able to relax. They will only act like savages if treated like them. Why do I bother talking to a guy such as you." As I finish saying that I quickly swing my blades to remove some blood on them. I then turn around to face the other person.
"You, you are worth talking to. You have an appreciation for your life, and so you should understand their plight. I leave it up to you to make things better for them. Water should not be a profitable business, or not as much as it is. While making some GC is not bad, for it will limit the water use, too much profit means greed. If you are a truly foolish being, as many humans are, do not heed my warnings, but if you know what is right, you will do what I said." With that I start to make my way out with my wass in hands to see the enslaved men. Studying them for a while I try to see anything that may give a hint of animal (or human) behavior.
Billgar
After giving a rather lengthy speech to a corpse, koku returns to the facility. The men work laboriously.
Koku
I continue to watch them as they work, they were obviously trained, so I figure they still must have some hope for them to get better. I go back to the entrance and wait a little bit hoping someone else will come down.
Billgar
Still not knowing of the demise of their boss, the supervisors work on assuming that you were persuaded to be quiet by the man in charge.
Koku
I look around for another corridor, if there is none I plan to go back to the bosses quarters to see if there is anything helpful there.
Billgar
Returning to the bosses room, koku takes another look around. It seems that there are a few items on his desk. A leather bound notebook, and some loose papers as well as a shoddy calendar are in plain sight.
Koku
I first take a look at the notebook to see if there are any important dates, such as when the first worker was brought in. I then look at the papers to see what they say.
Billgar
The calendar details information for this month only. Looking at whats scribbled upon it, there are several dates noted for shipments of supplies(such as water filters and food for the workers, as well as one odd order of new boots for the supervisors).
Looking over the papers they are rather less exciting than anticipated and seem to be reciepts for water being sold to retailers.
Koku
Seeing nothing of importance there I look for any locker-like containers to try to ply open. There must be a hint somewhere and I will find it.
Billgar
The office is surprisingly plain, like the type of set up one would be situated in by force. Perhaps there are even greater powers at work?
Koku
Knowing that the guards know of this, I have a strong guess that the guards here are behind it. I start to head out and up the building slowly and with my senses at their peek.
Billgar
Koku Exits the building and glances around. A commotion is heard from inside as the supervisors realize that their boss has died. Days pass by and no one takes on his role, the supervisors leave one by one, and many of the men inside are murdered so as to prevent them from creating havoc in the outside world.
Though cruel, there is no longer a means of filtering out water for the city and the citizens are slowly becoming sick from drinking the un-pure water. Koku still investigating the guards after all this time, makes his usual rounds and witnesses an older man crying over the body of dead girl. His daughter must have died form lack of hydration, perhaps they were already poor to begin with...judging by their clothes.
The investigation continues for quit some time, and many corrupt officials are taken out one by one by the Captain of the imperial guard. Without water the city falls into disarray.
After a few weeks pass by over half of the city has died from either dehydration or from illness caused from the unfiltered water. The remaining populus finally organizing to clean the waters themselves find that their bodies have become far too frail to complete such a task.
A man appears in the village. Wild and savage be begins his onslaught killing all who are in his sights. No sense of mercy or remorse, he flails about killing men women and even children(which are now a rare sight in the city).
Koku for the thrill of the battle kills the man. Looking around he stands in a city of the Red Panda. A single action brought about the end of a civilization. . .
Spoiler:
By killing the boss of the water filtration area, you have failed in passing proper judgment over the situation. This inevitably means that Hydro was not completed/can never be. Pollen of Greed, Sinister Orb. and Obnoxious Orb have been placed in your vault, as well as the quest token for "rain"
