Poison

Princess Chiamaka poisons Scarlett. To survive, Scarlett must find a cure!

Getting the Quest

This quest is automatic following the conclusion of the Chasing the Black Grimoire quest.

Scarlett has finally destroyed the cursed Black Grimoire in the fires of the Old Chimney's furnace, and things seem to be finally going her way. But as she leaves the Old Chimney, she is spotted and ambushed by Princess Chiamaka and her Juma Warriors. In a cut scene, Scarlett is struck by a poison dart from the Princess's blowgun and left for dead.

This quest is mandatory. Scarlett needs to complete it as part of her primary objective.

 

Prerequisites

• Chasing the Black Grimoire - Find and destroy the Black Grimoire.

 

The Quest

Scarlett is poisoned! She must somehow find a cure to the dark poison that courses through her veins, before it kills her.

 

Fulfilling the Quest

This is a long quest (with a pair of essential sub-quests) that will eventually lead Scarlett to the Juma Tribal Lands in Africa. Scarlett will awaken from the ambush to find herself beside one of the canals in the Arsenal District.

First, Scarlett should go visit The Doctor at his office on the main level of the Arsenal District. So go up the stairs and cross the bridge to Shade Street and enter his home. (Click on the map to enlarge it.)

After Gregorius intones all manner of dire pronouncements about the poison, he'll admit he can only slow it down for awhile. He does, however, have book of shaman lore that might help, but it's written in some "African language" that he can't read. Scarlett only knows a very few non-hostile Africans. She won't know where Akbah is, but there were two Juma Clansman in the Skullbreak Tavern. Unfortunately, Gregorius won't let Scarlett take the book with her, so she will have to bring the translator to him.

The Skullbreak Tavern is at the top of the Arsenal District stairs. (Click on the map to enlarge it.) Inside, the unnamed Juma Clansman can be found on the balcony to the right with a fellow expatriate (an also unnamed Juma Tribeswoman). If Scarlett speaks with him and asks for his help, he will reluctantly agree. However, since he is a dissident to Princess Chiamaka's alliance with the Undead Archon, his life is in danger from the Juma Warriors who are searching for him, and he will need protection to reach The Doctor safely. Meet him just outside the Skullbreak Tavern to begin the trip. The Juma Clansman won't get on the Platform, meaning they will have to travel the longer route down the bridges, ramps, and stairs. Scarlett will have to kill the Juma Warriors they meet along the way, although her companion will also fight. (They will meet two groups of Juma Warriors, one large group outside the Chapel, and one smaller group at the base of the Stairs.)

Back at the Doctor's office, the Juma Clansman will read the book and tell Scarlett that the poison is also a curse, and it can only be lifted by the person who cursed her. It seems Scarlett will have to defeat Princess Chiamaka to be free of the poison.

At this point, the first of a sequence of two sub-quests begin, and Scarlett should complete each of these, one after the other, to complete the Poison quest (see the article on each of these quests for details on completing them):

• Bad News
• The Hunted Becomes The Hunter

As Scarlett leaves The Doctor's office, she is immediately met by a messenger who tells her she must return to her Guild immediately. This begins the sub-quest Bad News (q.v.) At her Guildhall, Scarlett will learn that Leon has been captured by Juma Warriors; when she goes to the Harbor warehouse to investigate, she will eventually meet Princess Chiamaka again. At the conclusion, the Princess will leave for Africa, which will begin the sub-quest The Hunted Becomes The Hunter (q.v.). Scarlett will have to chase the Princess to her native Juma Tribal Lands. There, Scarlett will find a Gateway Idol, and eventually be able to confront Princess Chiamaka in the Necropolis of her tribal village.

 

Rewards

Scarlett gets to live to fight another day.

It's difficult to separate how many of the Experience points awarded after the battle in the Necropolis are specific to this quest, and which are due to the concurrent The Hunted Becomes The Hunter quest, and which are incidental to her other victories. Separate Experience awards totalling 5400 points are:

• 200 points for getting the Juma Clansman to The Doctor's House of Healing.
• 1000 points for entering the Necropolis.
• 800 points for defeating Princess Chiamaka in the mortal world.
• Three separate totals of 600, 800, and 2000 points are awarded at the completion of the battle with the Princess, which also completes this quest.

(Plus 120 experience points for each Juma Warrior defeated and 200 points for each Baka Beast killed.)

(No change to her Reputation.)

Princess Chiamaka will give Scarlett the Dusk of the Dead, made from her tears, which have dried and turned to dust. Scarlett can use this for protection from Victor's magic to get into the Palace as part of the The Doge's Palace quest.

Scarlett will be able to keep the special Spike and Scale spear & shield weapons she obtains in the Twilight World while fighting Princess Chiamaka's spirit form (a Phoeinx-like bird.)

While leaving the Necropolis after her battle with Princess Chiamaka, she will be accosted by the Madman. If she speaks with him, he can tell her a lot of things about how Victor and his four allies became the Undead Five, and about the Black Grimoire, and other events back in Venice which you wouldn't think an African Shaman would know much about.

After leaving the Necropolis, she will now be able to open the chest in the Tree of Life. Inside, she will find two useful treasures which she should make a point to collect:

• The blue Ring of Loyalty that belongs to Princess Chiamaka, which she can take to San back in Venice's Inner City to upgrade her Moonblade.
• The Holy Spear of Chiefs, a very formidable weapon.

Scarlett is given use of the Princess's Black Ship, which will take her back to Venice's Harbor when she is ready. She should see Themba at the Anchorage when she is ready to leave Africa.

Scarlett may return to the Juma Tribal Lands at any time by speaking with Captain Ayo at the pier in the Harbor. (Useful if she forgets a quest or reward, or wants to dig up some treasure.)

Related Quests

• Chasing the Black Grimoire - (prequel) - Find and destroy the Black Grimoire.
• Bad News - (sub-quest) - Rescue Leon from Princess Chiamaka and her Juma Warriors.
• The Hunted Becomes The Hunter - (sub-quest) - Hunt down Princess Chiamaka in Africa.
• The Doge's Palace - (successor) Scarlett Needs to Get into the Palace to confront the Doge and Victor.
• Let the Games Begin! - After completing the Poison quest, Scarlett may participate in a tribal fighting tournament to hone her skills and win a great reward.