A Fragment of red coral crystal
Overview
From the Story Arc "The Cult of the Shaper" given by Diviner Maros.
This Souvenir is restricted to the level range of 25-29.
Souvenir's Text
This piece of strange crystallized coral is all that remains of the weird cult that once tried to sacrifice you to awake a strange and ancient horror in the escape you remember as:
The Cult of the Shaper
You knew that working with Maros was strange, but it soon got stranger than you'd imagined. Out of nowhere, Maros began to talk about the red crystallized coral that could be found around Sharkhead Isle. Apparently, he needed a great deal of crystal for some arcane purpose, and asked you to get it for him. He talked about several strange things, including some horrible demise he saw in your future, but you couldn't get him to make more sense. When you went to harvest coral from the Slag Golems, you found that there were Freakshow in the area already doing the same thing. You prevailed over them, and delivered the crystals to Maros. Maros next warned you that the Freakshow would want you killed, but since he knew where you could go to find some answers, sent you right there. Once there, you met the Freakshow Lieutenant named Ohmtown again, who was about to be taken out by some of his fellow Freaks. After you helped him, he told you that he'd been sent out to the Rogue Isles by Dreck, the leader of the Freakshow. Apparently there were rumors that a strange cult has sprung up among some of the Freaks on the island. You also defeated a Tank Freak called The Gatherer, who put a name on the new mania spreading among the Freaks: The Cult of the Shaper. He also spoke of a leader called Metal Shift. Maros seemed to confirm this, in his own roundabout way.
Maros continued to be his own special kind of helpful, this time directing you directly to Metal Shift, the head of the Freaks in the Cult of the Shaper. As you infiltrated the place, you happened upon Barracuda herself, Captain Mako's lieutenant, who was surrounded by Freakshow cultists. You helped her with the Freaks she was fighting. She helped you out, and told you that she was investigating the Cult of the Shaper for her own reasons. You confronted Metal Shift, and after defeating him learned that the true head of the cult was someone named Calystix the Shaper. Maros was pleased that you had learned this. He also warned you that the next time you met Barracuda, you'd have to fight her.
Maros told you that you could find more information about Calystix the Shaper in the hands of the Legacy Chain. Oddly, he also said that much of what he knew, he only knew because he remembered you telling him. Regardless, his information was correct. The Legacy Chain's records told about the re-appearance of the Cult of the Shaper throughout history, always headed by a strange priest named Calystix the Shaper. Calystix was also mentioned in the ancient records of the Mu as a priest of an unknown race that tried to destroy them with a great Leviathan. According to the ancient records, the Leviathan was sealed away, but Calystix escaped into the sea. The Legacy Chain researcher also told you that the Cult of the Shaper always attempted to sacrifice a powerful and wicked individual to re-awaken the Leviathan, and seems to have chosen you. Maros confirmed all of this based on old Oranbegan records the Circle owned.
It was time to bring an end to the Cult of the Shaper and find Calystix. As Maros babbled nearby into near incoherency, he directed you into a vicious battle. You found Ohmtown again, this time he had brought along more Freakshow from the mainland. The Cult was over by Dreck's order, and he was there to see it. Barracuda was also present, and as Maros had said, this time she wasn't interested in talking. You defeated her, and before she fell into unconsciousness she explained that she was just trying to figure out how she had been changed into her current form. Maros had warned that if she got too close to Calystix he would take control of her, though, so there was no way you were going to let her find out. Finally, there was Metal Shift. After you defeated him for the last time, his final words gave the hints you needed to find Calystix the Shaper.
Maros was able to interfere with the Leviathan's awakening through the Red Coral Crystal you had gathered for him in the beginning, and Calystix was stopped before the Leviathan could be awakened. Deep beneath Sharkhead Isle, the beast sleeps again, hopefully forever. The Cult of the Shaper is over for good, and it looks like no ancient inhuman priest to strange sea-goddesses are planning to sacrifice you any time soon. Over all, a win.
Maros told you little more about his motivations for helping you in all of this, but did deliver a strange warning. He said that it would be good for you to remember that Recluse's victory may not be your own. Whatever that meant, he refused to speak of it further.
