The followers of N'kuhana

The followers of N’kuhana believe there is a balance to the world. Health and time. Pain and love. Death and memories. All in perfect synergy. As time went on, the balance of the world was destabilized. There were more births than there were people dying. With no volume for death in the world, N’kuhana could not visit her pupils. With the aid from the scriptures known as The N’tormat, her disciples spread her words and opinions. They will sow death to restore order to the world and be granted audience with her.

The belief of N'kuhana can be traced to other parts of the universe. One such instance can be traced back to a burial site on Venus. There was a ritual taking place that was supposedly interrupted by a boy who did not believe in the concepts of N'kuhana.

A group of survivors, some devotees, can be traced to the Wetland Aspect. Consisting of Marion, Hitchcock, Pugh, Larsen, Dillon, Carney, Stevens, and an unnamed member (devotee and the narrator of the Wetland Aspect log). Marion was in possession of the Ceremonial DaggerCeremonial Dagger
Killing an enemy releases homing daggers.
Killing an enemy fires out 3 homing daggers that deal 150% (+150% per stack) base damage., a knife used to sacrifice believers and heretics alike as gifts for N’kuhana.

At some point, the group was attacked by Stone GolemsStone Golem
HP: 480 (+144 per level)
Damage: 20 (+4 per level)
Class: Ranged / Melee
Speed: 6.6 m/s
Armor: 0. In the golems' pursuit, Hitchcock was blown to pieces. Marion frantically begged the unnamed member to kill her with the dagger, claiming it was magical and would save the group. Reluctantly, they killed Marion. Pugh witnessed the murder, and his misunderstanding and subsequent noisy reaction risked the group's safety, leaving the killer with no choice but to kill him, too.

That night, a member of the group, Carney, found a book on N'kuhana's teachings — likely the N'tormat or another text about Her Concepts. Inspired by the religious text and worried he might interfere, the killer murdered Carney and stashed his corpse in a hidden Altar to N'kuhana, where they worshipped Her Concepts.

The exact timing is unclear, but the killer murdered the rest of the group sometime later in ritualistic sacrifice.

In-Game Presence

• Environments
  • Wetland AspectWetland Aspect (Stage 2)
    Rehabilitation Zone
    You dream of twisting roots.
    
    Full of ruined stone structures and swampy areas filled with water.

• Items
  • Ceremonial DaggerCeremonial Dagger
    Killing an enemy releases homing daggers.
    Killing an enemy fires out 3 homing daggers that deal 150% (+150% per stack) base damage.
  • N'kuhana's OpinionN'kuhana's Opinion
    Fire haunting skulls when healed.
    Store 100% (+100% per stack) of healing as Soul Energy. After your Soul Energy reaches 10% of your maximum health, fire a skull that deals 250% of your Soul Energy as damage.
  • N'kuhana's RetortN'kuhana's Retort
    Become an aspect of corruption.

Lore

Ceremonial Dagger

The smell of sulfur fills the air.

"Oh god, they're so close. They have Hitchcock. Oh god."

"Grab the - the dagger. From my backpack. Quick."

"I-I don't... I got it. What the hell? This isn't gonna work, Marion. What the hell am I supposed to do with this against those...? They blew him into pieces - oh god."

"You have to... you have to kill me - ah! Kill me. Kill me with it."

"What? What the hell?"

"Yeah - it's the only way. Please."

"What are you saying? Stop!"

"It's a magic dagger. It'll save us. She will save us. But you have to kill me with it."

"Please don't... please don't make me. Oh god."

"Y-you have to. I've seen how this works. It's the only way - they're coming so close. You have to use it on me. Kill me."

"I'm so sorry Marion. I'm so so sorry. I don't think-"

"Do it. Do it now. DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW! DO IT-"

Wetland Aspect

Welcome to DataScraper (v3.1.53 – beta branch)
$ Scraping memory... done.
$ Resolving... done.
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Complete!
Outputting local audio transcriptions...


Yeah, I had to. I had no choice. Marion knew - and she was always so much stronger. So much stronger than all of us.

And it worked, it really did! Marion saved all of us. The dagger - it saved Pugh and Larsen and Dillon. Carney and Stevens.

But Pugh saw - he saw and he didn't understand. How could he? I tried to tell him - I ran over to him. But I couldn't convince him otherwise, and he was so crazy - so crazy! He wouldn't shut up and the golems were coming and the dagger - there was no choice.

Everyone was real somber that night. We lost Hitchcock and Marion and Pugh. Real somber. Later on, Carney found the book from a nearby chest. And it really all made sense - it did! I knew why Marion had that dagger and why I had to be the one to kill her. And Carney? He was too strong. I couldn't risk him not understanding. He wouldn't understand.

But Carney was big. Everyone else would've known. So that night, after I killed him, I went and took his body to the Altar. And I hid the Altar - right at the edge of the cliff, between two clusters of roots, in a cave underneath. And in that cave... I worshipped Her Concepts.

The rest? Well, they were so old and so tired. They were just gifts for N'kuhana. And She loved them. 

Weshan.

Local audio transcriptions complete.

N'kuhana's Opinion

"Let us begin.

What is your oath?

Not very long ago, health and time were in perfect synergy. Pain and love. Death and memories. The great equalizer. She would always come for us. 

But! Disparity now plagues our generations - and our children's. Not many pass, but so many are born. So many doomed souls, saved. Our hubris as a race continues to grow - unchecked. Unrestrained. 

Now there is no volume in our world for death, and she cannot visit us. But is being alive only an offset from death? Without contrast, won't we all be dead in life? The standard has shifted, and now we are all so very close to never living again.

We must make volume for her name - to restore the balance. Let us consume the Concepts, so we may begin to drain the bloated cistern that is our world. As disciples, we will spread her words and opinions. As pupils, we will sow death. And should we be lucky... be granted an audience by Her.

Weshan!"

-The N'tormat, Chapter I, Stanza I, Verse II

Trivia

• The name of the Elite Equipment for MalachiteMalachite (Affix Buff)
  Gain the power of a Malachite Elite.Shoot occassional urchins and apply healing disabled on hit. suggests a direct connection between N'kuhana and her followers and the Elite type, though the exact relation is unclear.