 The Paragon Wiki Archive documents the state of City of Heroes/Villains as it existed on December 1, 2012.
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Blind Makwa
Overview
| Blind Makwa | |
|---|---|
 Medicine Man | |
| Zone | First Ward |
| Coordinates | (-1493, 17, -533) |
| Level Range | 20-29 |
| Introduced By | Katie Douglas |
| Introduces | Cerulean |
| Enemy Groups |
 Apparitions Midnight Masters The Possessed |
Blind Makwa is a Praetorian contact in the Mercyview neighborhood of First Ward at coordinates (-1493, 17, -533). His level range is 20-29.
Contents
Introductions
Contact Introduced By
Contact Introduces
- Cerulean is a powerful wizard, but you have already seen that for yourself. He has great knowledge of the past and the present. Together you will work to calm the fire in the hearts of the spirits who are shrouded by evil's veil.
- Trust Master Midnight if you wish, but I warn you, he will betray you as he did me.
Information
Medicine Man
Blind Makwa was born without sight like normal men. He was gifted with the rare and beautiful ability to see spirits as others see one another every day. It was this reason that he became a well respected medicine man. His ability to converse with those who had taken the heaven's road and joined with the great spirit was sought by many in the wake of the Hamidon Wars. But dead men are supposed to tell no tales, and so when Blind Makwa began hearing terrible truths, he snuck away to the First Ward where he would be safe, and no one would look for him.
Prior to Introduction
I am speaking to the wind, and they have nothing to say about you.
Initial Contact
I have heard your name on the winds, Character. Oh, do not be alarmed, the winds do not speak to just anyone. I talk with them, and they talk with me. We share many old stories - stories I used to share with the dead - until that witch stole my sight. Now I talk, and listen, but my friends, the spirits of those who have passed, are gone. I only have the winds now to keep me company. The winds and the fish, and sometimes the Carnival comes to visit, but seldom to hear my stories. Perhaps you have come for stories as well, but I suspect you seek knowledge of the spirits, like all the others.
Greeting
- I do not need eyes to hear you, Character.
Too Busy
Missing Too Busy Dialogue
Too Low Level
Missing Too Low Level Dialogue
No More Missions
I am afraid I can do nothing more with you, Character. The spirit wards should keep us safe from these Apparitions. If ever you should find the witch that stole my sight, I would be grateful to have it returned to me. Thank you, and safe travels, brave one.
Store
- None
Story Arc
Dark Visions
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Merit Rewards: This activity awards 7 Reward Merits. |
Souvenir
The Smell of Strange Incense
Sometimes the smell of smoke reminds you of Blind Makwa's spiritual incense and with this memory comes the faces of the great ancestors and the furious forms of the apparitions. But beyond them, somewhere in the back of your mind, you can feel something else... something in the shadows... watching. Sometimes a minute will pass before you realize and all that you are left with are...
Dark Visions
It all began when you met with the blind old medicine man known appropriately as Blind Makwa. What you did not know, however, was that his gift of spirit sight was stolen from him by a witch. Despite the loss of his gift, Blind Makwa's own desire to discover the meaning behind the angry Apparitions in First Ward matched your own and so the two of you worked together to communicate with the dead to discover the source of their rage. After gathering the necessary ingredients from the nearby cemetery you made your way to the Keystone Apartments, the resting place of many spirits from the Hamidon Wars, and set up ritual censers to draw the spirits into negotiations. After hearing the words of the great ancestors you discovered that the Apparitions are not the spirits of the dead, but rather, the spirits of the living!
Blind Makwa was certain that black magic was responsible for the spirits of the living turning so violent. He sent you to Cerulean, a wizard who was once a member of the Midnighters, to obtain the Book of Binding and the Dust of Chains from the Midnight Mansion; the old headquarters of the Midnighters before they were betrayed by Master Midnight. The mansion was a dangerous place that Cerulean knew a secret way into. Inside you obtained the book and the dust and then escaped before Master Midnight knew what had happened.
With the Book of Binding and the Dust of Chains, Blind Makwa and the wizard, Cerulean, set to work on creating a ward to protect the Carnival from possession by the Apparitions. Knowing that the spirits were of the living and not the dead proved key, and after using Blind Makwa's spirit snare to capture the essence of an Apparition from a possessed host, he was able to make the final adjustments necessary to safely ward the Chapel of Enduring Light. The Apparitions, however, seemed to react quite strongly and universally against your efforts to set up the spirit wards, but even their fury could not overcome you. In the end the angry spirits of the living were kept at bay, but left one burning question. Who is using magic to direct the Apparitions against the living?
Part One: Dirtnapper
Briefing
I do not need my sight to feel that the First Ward is in pain. The land bleeds and the people are filled with sorrow. Everywhere the wind hears the people lament about their plight and it carries these cries to my ears. I feel for their pain, but nobody has asked what the spirits need, what they desire. In such times people forget to pay their respects and the ancestors are forgotten.
The spirits are angry, Character, and if they are not given peace then the suffering of the people will have only just begun. 'Since I have lost my spirit sight, Character I will need your help in learning what is needed to calm the fire in the hearts of the great ancestors.
- Help Blind Makwa
I know it will be easy for you, Character. You are a great warrior while I am an old medicine man, arthritic and troublesome when I journey beyond the comfort of my home. But do not fret, the call of adventure stirs the blood even in this bag of bones.
However, there is still time better left to sitting and studying the path we will take. I have need of the earth of some graves from the Mercyview Cemetery. Much magic can be found there, and that magic will guide us on the rest of our journey.
Here, take these seven bags. Fill each bag with seven handfuls of earth from a grave. One grave, seven handfuls, one bag. No more. No less.
A warrior must remain humble and remember that no task is beneath their calling. Now go, time's wheel is ever turning.
Unnecessary Solicitation
Do not let the spirits in the Cemetery discourage you. The dead have no need of dirt, and remember, seven handfuls from seven graves, the number is very important.
Mission Objective(s)
- Gather the dirt from seven graves
- Recover the dirt from 7 more graves
You have filled all seven bags, now go return to Blind Makwa.
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Seven bags of grave dirt |
| The bags that Blind Makwa gave you aren't particularly big, but now that each one is stuffed full of seven handfuls of dirt from the cemetery grounds they are a bit clunky to carry. |
Part Two: Reading Dirt
Briefing
Blind Makwa studies the bags of dirt each in turn before pulling a handful of dirt out of one and letting it sift down between his fingers. He let's out a thoughtful grumbling.
Good, good...
The dirt speaks to me of the seven sacred directions. North to sorrow, east to victory, south to peace, west to death, above us, below us, and the sacred fire at the center. Their eternal wisdom is a proven guide when you find yourself without direction.
Now, it is to the west you must go, to the land of death, the heart of the Sunken City where the dead gather. There you must seek out the Keystone Apartments, a place where the spirits often convene. Ask to be part of their circle and to discuss the troubles of the world with the ancestors. Discover what troubles them so that they would plague the living.
Take these censers and the grave dirt in this bag. For each censer place a handful of dirt within. Light the censers and the spirits will see that you come in peace.
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A bag full of death |
| Blind Makwa sifted through the dirt you brought him and formed neat little piles all with thoughtful grunts and contemplative hums. After a few minutes of crumbling incense and various herbs into his hands he scooped together this bag of dirt for you to use to speak with the spirits of the great ancestors. |
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Ritual Censers |
| Blind Makwa instructed you to take these mystical sticks, which appear to be old tree branches, and these metal censer dishes with you. Setting them up should be a snap, they're already tied at one end and the censer dish is easily hung from the top. Inside each censer you are to place a single handful of the mixture of grave dirt and incense that was given to you. The smoke will draw forth the spirits of the ancestors to speak peacefully with you. |
Unnecessary Solicitation
The spirits will likely see you as a threat until you light all the censers.
Mission Objective(s)
A palpable malevolence hangs in the air, mixing with the reek of mildew growing between the building's rusted bones.
- Convene with the spirits
- 7 Censers to set up
- Speak to the spirits
- Listen to the spirits
You talked to the spirits and learned that the spirits of the dead are at peace, it is the spirits of the living who are angry.
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- Ripped Specter (Lieutenant)
- Ancestor Spirits (Allies)
Ancestor Spirit
Briefing
Rarely do the living take time to talk to us who have passed. Your fire is welcome, friend, tell me what troubles you.
- Why are angry spirits attacking the living?
Hmmm...
I have heard and seen the tragedy of what you speak. But my story is but the story of one. We must hear all sides before we can see the truth...
- I just need to know how to stop them.
Patience is a virtue the living can never truly possess, and I do not expect it from you. The dead, however, often have a great love of patience, to a fault sometimes. I will call the others to the council fire and then you shall hear what is truth...
- Thank you.
Ancestor Spirit
Briefing
You must help the spirits of the living to find peace, only then will south once again be south.
- I don't understand, the spirits of the living?
That I cannot help you with. All I know is that the spirits of the living are broken and angry. Find what broke them and you will calm the fire in their hearts.
- Thank you.
Debriefing
The ancestors told you that these Apparitions are the spirits of the living?
There is black magic at work here, Character,and I do not fully understand what has transpired.
Sometimes, to counter black magic, you must also use black magic, and I know where to find some of the blackest magic of all.
The laws of the spirit realm aren't so different from our own. There is, however, one rule that the dead must obey, and that is that the dead cannot change. But the living exist to do exactly this; everything we do causes change. The wind brought you to me as a wanderer, Character, but now you are a friend.
Part Three: Shades of Blue
Briefing
The magic I need is in The Book of Binding and it requires The Dust of Chains. Both can only be found inside The Midnight Mansion, the former residence of the once powerful Midnighters. The Midnighters were a group of powerful arcanists who fought for good and truth, but they were destroyed from within by one of their own; Master Midnight.
Midnight siezed the Midnight Mansion and all the artifacts and sorcery the Midnighters had accumulated over the decades. That sorcery includes The Book of Binding and The Dust of Chains, and I need your help to get it.
- Where's this Mansion and how do I get in?
The Midnight Mansion is powerfully warded and only those invited through its doors by Master Midnight can gain entry. Luckily there is someone who knows of a secret backdoor inside.
The wizard, Cerulean was one of the Midnighters who escaped Master Midnight's betrayal. Speak with Cerulean, I am sure that he will be more than happy to assist in any plan that does harm to the man who betrayed him.
Unnecessary Solicitation
Cerulean has the only means of entering the Midnight Mansion, you must speak to him to gain entry and then, once inside obtain the Book and the Dust.
Mission Objective(s)
- Speak with Cerulean
Part Four: Thief in the Night
Raid the Midnight Mansion
Briefing
I've seen you come into the cemetery before, Character, scraping up dirt, no doubt for one of Blind Makwa's curious spirit rituals. I only hope it is a means to an end in dealing with these cursed Apparitions.
So what black magic is that blind medicine man up to?
- We need the Book of Binding from the Midnight Mansion.
So, Blind Makwa wants you to raid the Midnight Mansion and steal the Book of Binding... and he thinks I will help you?
Cerulean thinks for a moment.
He knows me too well. And if I know him then he means to create a ward against these apparitions using the Book of Binding and... the Dust of Chains?
- So you'll help?
Any chance to strike a blow against that ignoble traitor, Master Midnight, is one I will undertake with great zeal and haste. But I warn you, it will not be easy...
- How do we get in?
The Midnight Mansion is warded with the most potent magical defenses I have ever seen. Luckily, when the Midnighters put these defenses into place we created a secret back door. A back door I was instructed in the use of before the great betrayal. To this day Master Midnight is blissfully unaware of its existence.
- If you can bypass his defenses why not confront him?
All of the magic and power taken from the Midnighter's many and varied enemies were in turn stolen when Master Midnight took over. All of that power is his, he simply lacks the knowledge to utilize it to its full potential. Regardless, he is still a potent adversary.
From time to time I slip in, keeping tabs on Midnight and his schemes, but he is still an ignorant boy with more power at his fingertips than he knows. Should that ever change, however, then I fear a monster unlike any we have ever seen will be unleashed upon this world.
- If he's so powerful how will we succeed?
If you are to slip in and steal from him, you will need my help. As I said, Midnight lacks knowledge, but a direct confrontation with him would be disastrous. For my forays I utilize an invisibility ring to bypass his clearly unimaginative inner defenses. However, I am not willing to part with such an artifact, so I'm afraid you alone will have to face the Midnight Masters; my former Midnighter colleagues who were killed in the betrayal and then reanimated to serve Midnight's every dark whim.
I must stress caution to you, though, Character. Master Midnight will not remain unaware of your presence for long. You will have 15 minutes at most to acquire the Book and the Dust before you are beset upon by a host of ghoulish sorcerers commanded by Midnight. If you seek to take both the Book of Binding and the Dust of Chains, then you will need to be swift in their acquisition and make a hasty escape back through my portal.
The book is likely sitting unread on a bookshelf, while the dust is kept in an ancient clay urn. Once you have them, bring the book to me. I know just the spell Blind Makwa is looking for.
- "I'm ready." (Enter Mission)
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The Midnight Mansion |
| Cerulean told you about the Midnight Mansion, the home of Master Midnight and the location of numerous magical artifacts, including the Book of Binding and the Dust of Chains. |
Mission Objective(s)
Cerulean's portal seems to skirt closely to multiple interwoven magical barriers, each of which you sense, could kill you seven times over. Wherever this place is, it is definitely not easy to get into.
- Raid the Midnight Mansion - 15:00
- Steal the Book of Binding
- Steal the Dust of Chains
- Escape!
You acquired both the Book of Binding and the Dust of Chains!
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- Ghoulish Mystic (Midnight Masters Ghoulish Mystic Boss)
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Ambush! Upon checking an incorrect relic, you will be ambushed by one wave of Midnight Masters.
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The Book of Binding |
| This book is bound in a complicated laticework of leather straps, buckles, and fine chains. Within its pages lies a secret incantation which Blind Makwa and Cerulean need to stop the Apparitions from possessing people. |
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The Dust of Chains |
| This dust is a dark brown, but upon closer investigation you can see individual flecks of black, silver, and ruddy rusted metal. The Dust of Chains is said to have been acquired from the chains used to bind wicked souls in hell. You can only begin to imagine the complicated process by which said chains are acquired. |
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Ambush! After 15 minutes have passed, you are ambushed by endless waves of Midnight Masters.
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Have Cerulean examine the Book of Binding
Unnecessary Solicitation
Cerulean will need to read the Book of Binding to find the correct spell.
Mission Objective(s)
- Have Cerulean examine the Book of Binding
Briefing
Cerulean examines the Book of Binding, quickly flipping between pages before settling on one.
Here, this is the ritual that Makwa needs. I will get to work on it immediately. Inform him that he will need a subject for the Dust of Chains to use as a basis for the magical ward's parameters. I believe he has a spirit snare. It should be useful in acquiring what is needed.
Debriefing
Blind Makwa chuckles as you relay Cerulean's message.
Yes, I anticipated the need of my spirit snare. With the Dust of Chains and your abilities I foresee no difficulty in protecting ourselves from these Apparitions.
But there is still work to be done and we should move quickly, the wind can blow west at a moment's notice, and in that direction there is only death and sorrow.
When the inevitable happens, Character, I would like us to be friends beyond even the grave. You will always be in my thoughts and in my prayers.
Part Five: Splitting Souls
Briefing
Before Cerulean and I can construct Spirit Wards to protect the Chapel I must have a greater knowledge of the relationship between the Apparitions and the people they possess. To accomplish this you must use my spirit snare on the Possessed in order to draw out the spirits within, while they are cohabitating a single body. However, while the Possessed seem to flock to the Mercyview Cemetery at night, they do not dawdle there during the day. It will be a dangerous task, let there be no doubt in that.
- I'll gather the spirits you seek.
The relationship between Apparition and it's possessed host is what is key to the magic I seek to make. Normally the snare is used on ghosts free of any physical vessel, but I have used the Dust of Chains to modify it to bind portions of the Possessed host and Apparition together inside the Spirit Snare.
You will have to weaken the Possessed before the Apparition within will start to seek escape, then you can use the Spirit Snare to capture the essence of both souls. Once you have snared seven spirits we can get started on the wards.
Go forward with courage, and remember, they only come out at night.
Blind Makwa hands you the spirit snare, a fragile looking stick inscribed with strange markings made with a metallic looking paint.
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Blind Makwa's Spirit Snare |
| This fragile looking stick is inscribed with strange markings made with a metallic looking paint. According to Blind Makwa, when used on the Possessed it will ensnare a portion of the spirit from both the host and the Apparition possessing him. |
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Spirit Snare Special vs. Possessed This fragile looking stick is inscribed with strange markings made with a metallic looking paint. According to Blind Makwa, when used on the Possessed it will ensnare a portion of the spirit from both the host and the Apparition possessing him. The Spirit Snare has 10 charges. |
Ensnare Possessed in the Mercyview Cemetary at Night
Unnecessary Solicitation
The Possessed only come out at night. Once you find them you will have to weaken them before the Apparition within will start to seek escape, then you can use the Spirit Snare to capture the essence of both souls. Once you have acquired the seven spirits return to me.
Mission Objective(s)
- Ensnare Possessed in the Mercyview Cemetary at Night
- You have ensnared 0 of 7 spirits of the Possessed
You've ensnared seven spirits!
Enemies
Finale: The Dark Host
Briefing
I sense a dark magic on these spirits, Character. Very dark magic. Something is driving these spirits to do ill will toward men, but I cannot place it.
Cerulean is ready for us to begin the Binding Ritual and to place the Spirit Wards. When you are ready we will begin. I have a feeling in my bones that the Apparitions will react violently to our spell and I would be comforted if you were present.
- "I'm ready." (Enter Mission)
Unnecessary Solicitation
If the Spirit Wards are not set up soon then I fear the Apparitions, driven by the dark magic within them, will overwhelm us all.
Mission Objective(s)
A wind whips in from the west bringing with it a bitter chill and a great host of Possessed.
- Set up the Spirit Wards
- Find Blind Makwa
- Escort Blind Makwa to his Spirit Ward
- Set up Blind Makwa's Spirit Ward
- Find Nadia Umwala
- Escort Nadia to her Spirit Ward
- Set up Nadia's Spirit Ward
- Find Vanessa
- Escort Vanessa to her Spirit Ward
- Set up Vanessa's Spirit Ward
- Find Cerulean
- Escort Cerulean to his Spirit Ward
- Set up Cerulean's Spirit Ward
You set up the spirit wards in the Mercyview Cemetery, warding it against the Apparitions and keeping the Carnival of Light safe.
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- Nadia Umwala (Ally)
- Blind Makwa (Ally)
- Cerulean (Ally)
- Vanessa DeVore (Ally)
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Ambush! After retrieving Blind Makwa, you will be ambushed by five waves of The Possessed.
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Ambush! After leading Blind Makwa to his Spirit Ward, you will be ambushed by one wave of Apparitions. Before Combat:
Combat Start:
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You set up the northern spirit ward.
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Ambush! After retrieving Nadia, you will be ambushed by five waves of The Possessed.
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Ambush! After leading Nadia to her Spirit Ward, you will be ambushed by one wave of Apparitions. Before Combat:
Combat Start:
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You set up the western spirit ward.
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Ambush! After retrieving Vanessa DeVore, you will be ambushed by five waves of The Possessed.
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Ambush! After leading Vanessa DeVore to her Spirit Ward, you will be ambushed by one wave of Apparitions. Before Combat:
Combat Start:
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You set up the southern spirit ward.
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Ambush! After retrieving Cerulean, you will be ambushed by five waves of The Possessed.
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Ambush! After leading Cerulean to his Spirit Ward, you will be ambushed by one wave of Apparitions. Before Combat:
Combat Start:
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You set up the eastern spirit ward.
Debriefing
The Apparitions rage and fluster against the wards we have built, Character, but worry not. The winds speak and I listen. The Apparitions are unnatural, they can only be understood by the unnatural. Cerulean knows more about such things, were I you, I would go see him to unravel this most bizarre of mysteries.
Cerulean is a member of the Carnival, you can find him at the Chapel of Enduring Light in the Mercyview Cemetery.
