I sat in the main room of the 'temple' of the Scalefolk, though it didn't seem to have any iconography outside of the markings on the steps. Rather it was arrayed like a private residence with areas to relax and chill over veneration. Although it could be as simple as they worshiped uniquely. Whatever the case I had a map of spider silk arrayed before me, the location of the basecamp and the cities and the temple complex were all marked, as well as the now abandoned forts and road ways that were only traveled by armored caravans.

  The next city appeared to be the Geckonese's cities, the Turtenani apparently had iron mines and quartz quarries. The Newtfolk had fish, and the Geckonese had caves that grew an underground root that were used for luxury goods and for weapon manufacturery, the question was what did the Monternoels have? Whatever the case when we marched on the third city we would effectively defeat the Scalefolk in all but name.

  However first I had to wait for reinforcements from Anastasia to reach here, I hadn't lost much but when we were already outnumbered adding to it was not a recipe for success. Besides that would allow me to make sure that the two cities we had freed stayed that way. In fact having the food supply secured would help. So while reinforcements went out I would send out a shipment of food to the Turtenani.

  ...

  The Reinforcements came together nicely a large deployment of base puppets to pad the ranks which were not equipped with the dead Scalefolk's armor. That allowed me to only have to leave twenty five elites in both cities as the hundred regular puppets combined with the residents and repaired walls courtesy of the Mage puppet made it so they could reasonably protect themselves. Any force large enough to defeat them would be big enough for Anastasia' spy puppets to pick up.

  With everything ready it was time to move out, the now freed Newtkin were a mix of skittish and excited, they had apparently managed to avoid the decimation of the Turtenani despite their dangerous innate abilities due to their labor power providing the food. So the farewell was much more excited and animated over the deep well of sadness that clung to the Turtenani.

  Waving farewell to them I positioned my forces we where going to take a less direct route in order to get out of the marsh as soon as possible. The trip was a slog but there was brief uptick when I came across a supply wagon that had apparently not heard of the liberation of the second city. We fell apon them and filled them quickly as taking prisoners clearly didn't work. Inside we found several bundles of dried roots as well as a strange powdery substance that I decided was best not to touch after seeing the system tag for it.

  ...

  [Powdered Bladder Stone]

  Rank Two Treasure

  A strong hallucinogen made by breaking apart the bladder stone of a [Horned Mole]. When ingested the user will experience a temporary boost to your wisdom and regeneration stats at the cost of being more susceptible to persuasion being based on your willpower stat.

  Traits: [Hallucinogen], [Malleable Will], and [Hidden Status]

  -[Hallucinogen]

  This Treasure win consumed and it enters the bloodstream or equivalent causes visionary and audible hallucinations of Sapients and non-sapient species of the second rank or below.

  -[Malleable Will]

  When the trait [Hallucinogen] takes effect a non-infected Sapient of a stronger willpower can form and control the hallucinations that the user undergoes and influence subconscious thought. Although this trait does not interfere with free will and can only influence actions and decisions.

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  -[Hidden Status]

  This Item can have a false system status that portrays this treasure as [Sand of Enlightenment] although this will not work on creatures higher then second rank and certain higher dimensional or adjacent beings are wholly unaffected.

  ...

  Well shit this may a explain the whole suicide massacre of the Scalefolk I had captured if they were high as all get out. Sheesh this was getting worse, not only enslaving every other species other than your own, having a purge of certain type of one, and know some mind control mole powder? I mean I know humans had or would do all of that but still...

  Wait a second if shit like this powder exists and some inscrutable individuals get a hold of it. Ugh, Earth was no doubt going to be a shit show after the Tutorial was over.

  Dunking the barrels in a nearby pond I left the wagon and took the roots. Marching forward towards the third city, I felt a burning in my belly, the flashes of the dead look of still living Turtenani and even the small whisps of sadness that showed whenever the Newtfolk stopped moving. The Insanity of the Scalefolk which I found might not be entirely their fault. Some fuckers needed to die.

  The travel still took a day roughly though time was hard to gauge without the sun. The City of the Geckonese sat slouched on the cavern wall sloping downwards. Their was a wall of large roots or well the remainder of one that was filled in hapazardly with stone as the remaining parts of the root wall showed signs of scorching.

  "The Wall of Roots is a sacred place to our people it was place city was built around, when the Scalefolk attacked they burned it, sundered it calming embrace." One of the Geckonese stated hatred burned in their voice a seething zealous hatred.

  "Don't worry I may have a way to heal it unfortunately it may take some time until it's available" I responded and the Geckonese that spoke twitched, him not realizing that he was be listened to and me not realizing until now that he was monologuing.

  "Uhh, um thank you, but I still have a question?" The Geckonese asked sheepishly.

  "What is it?" I responded as I wondered what it could be, a request not to damage the wall further.

  "Why did you get rid of the [Sand of Enlightenment] isn't it a valuable resource, it is what gave the Scalefolk the power to conquer us, why throw it out?" The Geckonese asked perplexed.

  "Only to a paranoid dictator, the [Sands of Enlightenment] is powerful yes but it makes the user Malleable to others influence, no doubt it's what makes the Scalefolk such fanatics" I explained as i deduced that anyone but me would have seen the false system screen.

  "Wait, are you somehow insinuating that the Scalefolk aren't guilty?" A Geckonese challenged, and I understood it if someone had burned a holy symbol and then proceeded to enslave my species I to would be pissed if someone told me they were innocent.

  "Some no doubt, definitely those at the top and middle of the hierarchy but I suspect that the lower ranked were influenced by the sand, the ones at the top will get their due but depending on the strength of the sand the Low ranked Scalefolk might be just as much of slaves as you are, not slaves of body but of mind" I stated and the Geckonese were lulled into silent thought. The Puppets surged forward and prepared their battle lines as the garrison of Scalefolk scrambled. With their defenses being the weakest of the others they would be wiped out much faster. Although like before I would have to defeat their leader in order to minimize casualites.

  I blitzed to the gate obvious by its Frankenstein construction over the ruins of the root wall. Smashing through the thick stone gates was going to be annoying without my [Geomancy] at hand. However by summoning my club I managed to break the wall enough for me to pull through. Slipping through the whole in the gate I saw the arrayed defenders, a few older Scalefolk had an air of experience but most of them were holding their spears shaking as they tried to remember their drills.

  I paid them no mind simply electing to jump over the spear wall. Landing on the other side I sped off to the temple; as I slid around a steep corner I quickly raised my shield as a force slammed into me and sent me flying into a nearby house. The wall held barley and as I quickly dashed to the side as Inspected my opponent. A roughly fifteen foot long Serpent with two slender arms with knife like claws at the tips, its scales were an unnatural violet hue and the tatters of a priestess outfit clung to their torso.

  ...

  [Priestess of the Scalefolk] Lvl: 35

  ...

  Like thunder the large reptile snapped forward and attacked with wild abandon like a wild beast though it's eyes held a cruel cunning. Dodging and blocking when possible I evaluated the strange monster that was before. I wondered if it was some sort of transformation skill or class of some sort. It looked interesting although I have to save the retrospect to when the city was secured.