Did you talk to Sassan and see if she has a conversation option about finishing the first upgrade?
Are the first or second quests listed in the open/closed quest log, with an appropriate description?
There should not be a problem killing Kali before getting the quest; she drops the Demon Wars book even if you chose Hermosa. Did you read the book yourself? It gives you 5 skill points (3 in DKS), but will cause the failure of the second skill platform upgrade quest if you picked Kenneth.
