Salt in the Wound

This article is about the asura personal story step. For the War Eternal achievement, see Salt on the Wound.

Salt in the Wound

Year

1325 AE

Storyline

Personal story

Chapter

Interested Parties

Location

Inner Inquest Complex
(Inquest Outer Complex)

Level

20

Race

Asura

Choice

Transatmospheric Converter

Preceded by

Where Credit Is Due

Followed by

Free Rein
Bad Forecast

API

45

Salt in the Wound is part of the personal story of asura characters whose first invention was a Transatmospheric Converter and have finished Where Credit Is Due.

Objectives

Question Kudu's lackey, Plunka at the Inquest Inner Complex.

• Meet Zojja at the Inner Complex.
• Interrogate Plunka.
• Examine the body.
• Find a way out of the prison.
• Defeat Plunka and her golems.
• Talk to Zojja and plan your next course of action.

Rewards

Click here to edit the reward data

All professions

• 2,808 
• Beginner's Bag of Crafting Supplies (guaranteed)
• Bag of Loot (3) (guaranteed)

Profession-specific

• One of the following: Avenger's Hammer, Avenger's Staff, Avenger's Longsword
• One of the following: Avenger's Hammer, Avenger's Staff, Caretaker's Staff
• One of the following: Avenger's Longsword, Avenger's Hammer, Avenger's Longbow
• One of the following: Caretaker's Rifle, Avenger's Rifle, Defender's Rifle
• One of the following: Avenger's Longbow, Avenger's Short Bow, Caretaker's Short Bow
• One of the following: Defender's Short Bow, Avenger's Short Bow, Caretaker's Short Bow
• One of the following: Defender's Staff, Avenger's Staff, Caretaker's Staff
• One of the following: Defender's Staff, Avenger's Staff, Caretaker's Staff
• One of the following: Defender's Staff, Avenger's Staff, Caretaker's Staff

Walkthrough

Enter Plunka's facility. There will be no opposition at first. At the central area of the room there is a dead body. Examine it. Walls will close around the area and Plunka will arrive to taunt you. After she leaves Peredur, a Sylvari, will arrive to offer help. Talk to him. He will open a door and help you attack Plunka and her golems. After defeating the golems, talk to Plunka. She will tell what she knows about Kudu. There is also a conversation you can have with Peredur, who will become an ally.

Talk to Zojja about the choice of confronting Kudu directly or interrupting the test of the weather device.

NPCs

Allies

Asura

• Worker
• Zojja

Golem

• Mr. Sparkles

Sylvari

• Peredur

Foes

Asura

• Plunka

Golems

• Mark I Golem
• Mark II Golem

Dialogue

Entering the inner complex:

Zojja: Plunka's inside. And we get to beat Kudu's whereabouts out of her.

Talking to Zojja:

Zojja: Ready, Savant <Character name>? Let's find Plunka and make her tell us what we want to know.

How did she get mixed up in this, anyway?

She's one of Kudu's lackeys. He sponsored her into the Inquest a few years ago, and now she's like a pull toy following him around.

Can I ask you something else?

That's vivid. Thanks.'

What is this awful place?

This is a standard Inquest laboratory. Dark, dank, and intellectually uninteresting. Usually they have more glowy bits, but that varies by taste.

Can I ask something else?

Good to know, thanks.

Who are the Inquest?

They're a major krewe, far larger than most. They're also far greedier—and that's saying something.

Can I ask something else?

Noted. Thanks.

I'm ready when you are.

Approaching the central area:

Zojja: Where did everybody go? And what's that over there?

Zojja: The doors!

Plunka: Zojja! Kudu knew you'd show up sooner or later. And that you'd walk right into our trap.

Plunka: He gave me a message for you: "How does it feel to be perpetually second best?"

Plunka: Get comfortable, footnote. You'll be old ugly, and dead before we let you out of there.

Plunka: Well, older, uglier, and deader, anyway. Enjoy your stay.

Zojja: Psst! Hey! Hey, sylvari...guy? Whatever. Just get over here.

Peredur: Excuse me for interrupting, but I think we can help each other.

Talking to Zojja after being trapped:

Zojja: I will not be shown up by that strumpet! Minio-I mean, Savant! Find us a way out!

Will do!

Cinematic with Peredur:

<Character name>: Hey, you! What's a sylvari doing working for Kudu? The Inquest considers your people disposable, little more than kindling.

Peredur: I was...misled. My name is Peredur. Kudu tricked me into his service, and now I can't get away. I've seen what he did to the ones who tried to run.

Zojja: We can help. I know how to deal with Kudu. Get us out of this cell, and we'll get you out of his clutches.

Peredur: Kudu's krewe is incredibly dangerous, but you seem familiar with their brutality. And this may be my only chance. Very well, I'll release you.

Zojja: Any enemy of the Inquest is a friend of ours, Peredur. Now get on that console, make us a doorway, and fall in. We're busting out together.

Confronting Plunka:

Zojja: Right! Now let's go turn Plunka's face into one big bruise!

Plunka: Oh, for - who let Snaff's afterthought out?

Peredur: I did. Tell Kudu I said, "I quit. Effective immediately."

Zojja: Now you're the one who'll be uglier and deader, Plunka. But you'll never get any older.

Plunka: Big mistake, Zojja. Kudu wanted you alive and suffering, but I have different priorities.

After defeating Plunka:

Plunka: This was a complete failure.

Interrogating Plunka:

Plunka: I won't tell you anything! You're not the boss of me!

You don't need to. You've already given it all away. Kudu's on his way to the Black Citadel.

Ha! Fool! By the time you find out how wrong you are, he'll have finished his test at Mrot Boru.

Mrot Baru[sic], you say? A cunning lie, but there's no way Kudu's testing his machine there.

That just shows how little you know. Kudu's been working at the Invariant base for weeks. He'll be ready!

You're way too devious for me. You win this time, Plunka!

I'm going to rip of your ears and make them into the next great fashion accessory! Tell me where to find Kudu!

No! Not my ears! I'll tell you everything! Kudu's starting beta tests on the new machine. He's at Mrot Boru.

Mrot Boru is a big area. Narrow it down-or those ears turn into a handbag!

Ack! My ears are my best feature! The Invariant base! That's where he is! That's where he built the machine.

All right, I'll let you go. Be glad I'm in a good mood.

You've lost the fight, but there's no reason to lose your life, as well. Tell us about Kudu's plan. Where is he now?

You have no chance of stopping him, so I might as well tell you. He's headed to Mrot Baru to field test the device.

A field test? There's no way he was able to build this device on his own.

Alone? Did you forget we're Inquest? We're never alone. The Invariant base provided everything he needed.

Smart choice, Plunka. You get to live.

You got me there. I'll have to try a different tactic.

Cinematic after interrogating Plunka:

Zojja: One Inquest creep down, hundreds to go...but only one that matters. Kudu, we're coming for you!

<Character name>: If he heard that, he's shaking. We just need to find him before he does some real damage with my weather device.

Peredur: Weather device? I heard Plunka talking about such a thing. It's being developed at the Inquest's Invariant base.

Peredur: They've also scheduled a large-scale test—

Zojja: Finally! Kudu keeps anticipating my actions, but now we're one step ahead of him. For once, he won't see us coming.

Zojja: What do you think, Savant? How can we hurt Kudu and recover your device? Should we storm the lab or disrupt the test?

Peredur: Whichever you choose, I'd like to help. I owe Kudu for years of terror and abuse. So, tell me: Where do we strike?

Talking to NPCs:

Plunka: Kudu's going to be furious that I betrayed him. I'll be expelled from the Inquest for sure.

Why do you put up with him? He treats his assistants like dirt.

Yeah, but he's a genius...and I'm not. Unlike you, some of us have to hitch our wagons to a star—and then hold on for dear life.

You underestimate yourself. You were smart enough to trap us in that cage. You could do better than this.

Maybe... but Kudu said I inspired him. He talked about the refracting properties of my eyes by moonlight... Wow. I fell for that?

He's a loser. You could do ten times better than him.

You're right, but it's better than being alone.

Give it time. You'll find someone. Good luck.

Bring your schematics to my college. They'll give you a prospectus, and you can have a fresh start.

Really? Wow! That's really nice of you. I'll do that, thanks!

No problem. Good luck!

Yeah, it's hard to believe you fell for it.

I'm sure.

You should be.

Peredur: I should have listened to Malomedies. Asura can't be trusted! Present company excluded, of course.

How did you end up in this terrible place?

I came to Rata Sum to learn about the asura—and was hired by Kudu. I didn't know what "Inquest" meant until it was too late.

It means "crazy" mixed with "dangerous" mixed with "stupid." Bear that in mind.

You should have stood up for yourself! If you were trapped here, it's because you were weak.

You're right. I'm not as brave as you are, but from here on out...I'll try to be.

Good to hear it.

If I'd been you, I would have created a distraction and slipped away. What's he going to do about it?

I tried! I'm just not as smart as Kudu. Every time I made a distraction, he was right there to stop it.

You'll do better next time.

Kudu had no right to do that to you. You're a sentient...creature. You should be free.

That's kind of you. I'm just very glad you were here to help me when I decided to make a stand.

You just needed a little help.

Yeah, this was maybe not the best choice of jobs.

Talking to Zojja to choose next step:

Zojja: It looks like we've got two choices: catch Kudu at his testing grounds or invade his lab head-on.

Can you tell me more about Kudu's laboratory?

His lab's pretty far from the city, but Peredur said he'll tell us where to go. Kudu will have defenses there, I assure you.

Can I ask another question?

Thanks.'

What can we expect at the testing grounds?

Hitting the beta test site gets us away from Kudu's defenses-but it also gives him more means of escape.

Can I ask you another question?

Thanks.

All right, I'm ready to choose how we handle this problem.

All right then. Which will it be: the laboratory or the testing grounds?

I say we invade Kudu's lab head-on. It's the only way we can be sure. (Leads to Bad Forecast.)

I want to surprise Kudu at the beta test site. He'll never expect us there. (Leads to Free Rein.)

I need to think about this a minute. Don't push me.

Talking to Zojja again:

Zojja: Well, at least we've got a plan of action. That's something.

Agreed. I'll see you soon.

My story

“ Plunka tricked us! She tried to trap us in a cell, but with a sylvari named Peredur's help, we escaped. Peredur said that Kudu has a new lab and is planning to test his weather-device very soon. — My story

Trivia

• Plunka's line "Unlike you, some of us have to hitch our wagons to a star—and then hold on for dear life." is a reference to the famous phrase coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay "Civilization": "Now that is the wisdom of a man, in every instance of his labor, to hitch his wagon to a star, and see his chore done by the gods themselves. That is the way we are strong, by borrowing the might of the elements."

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Asura storyline