Heroica RPG - Quest #72: A Party

[Zepher]

OoC: Compiled list of missed counterstrikes and gold gains (though gold will disappear after the jump anyway): 14 More Gold for Hybros, Clippard: -6 Health, Avery: -31 Health, Marsh: -47 Health. JimBee, there's another jump after this.

Round Fourteen

>Docken takes Remedy

>Hybros v. Clippard - Critical Hit/Aim (3/1: Assassination!, Sword gains 1 WP)

>Hybros v. Clippard Lady Marsh - Damage/Critical Hit ([7*2+26]/2=20, 3/5: No Assassination)

>Docken v. Avery - Damage (58/2=29 Damage)

Badly Poisoned

-10 Hybros

Clippard falls to Hybros' blade, though the poison the cook threw in the air still courses through his veins. Avery lands another devasting blow on Docken and steps back from the battle.

Enemies

Lady Marsh

Level 7 Humanoid

Health: 161/300

Special Damage: Slap – Deals 2 damage to the hero and stuns them.

Drops: 50 gold

Avery the Red Assassin

Level 58 Humanoid *Lucky* *Immune to all effects and Instant Kill*

Health: 1088/1160

Special I: Mark of the Red Assassin – Instantly kills target. If target is immune to Instant Kill, the target becomes Doomed.

Passive Special I: Clever Eye - On even rounds, the waitress ignores SP.

Passive Special II: Cloak of the Red Assassin – All damage dealt by the Red Assassin has a

1/3

1/6 chance of killing the target. (If cloak is removed, 1/6).

Passive Special III: Revenge - Whenever Avery is dealt damage by a hero, she remembers. The hero is given a “mark counter”. When Avery deals damage to a hero, the mark counter is used as a multiplier, but removed. Mark counters stack (if there is only one mark counter, it is ignored).

Drops: ???

The Party

Hybros *Party Leader*

Level 26 Assassin

*Hastened*

*Immune to Cursed, Asleep, Blinded, Confused, Fragile, Weakened

*

*Immune to all elements* *Lucky* *Inspired*

*Badly

Poisoned

*

Power:

33

Defense:

0

Health:

39/80

Gold:

749

Equipment:

Sword of Ancestral Hatred

(WP: 7, gains 1 WP every kill made with it, light- and darkness-elemental; longsword)

,

Golden Armor

(user is permanently hastened and cursed, fire-, water-, earth-, wind-, wood-, ice-, lightning-, darkness-, light-elemental, grants immunity to Sleep, Blindness, Confusion, Frailty, and Weakening; bodywear),

Eye of the Beholder Amulet

(Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round),

Cloak of the Red Assassin

(All hits have a 1/3 chance of Assassination, Suitable for Assassins, Backwear)

Inventory:

Zoot's Reaper (WP:15, earth-elemental; scythe),

Clock Cog (WP: 14, retrievable), Banana Bladerang (WP:9, damage all, retrievable), Eye-poking Sai (WP:8, blinded-effect, dagger), Twin Kunai (WP:6, dual strike, dagger), Blessed Amulet (protects from cursed-effect; accessory), Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1, retrievable), 14 Potions, 14 Grand Potions, 21 Health Cores, 12 Remedies, 2 Neutralizers, 2 Elixirs, 5 Phoenix Essences, Deadly Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, 3 Lightning Bombs, 3 Holy Bombs, 14 Nostrums, 2 Meads, 5 Mulled Wines, Minimizing Dust, Bedroll, Shovel, Skeleton Decoy, Bone, Sticky Gloves (Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up); handwear),

Bartholomew Docken

, Dragonslayer

Level 31.5 Warden

*Takes Halved Damage from Free Hits*

*Encouraged* *Hastened* *Lucky* *Immune to Instant Kill* *Badly Poisoned*

Power:

41

Defense:

23

Health:

15/60

Gold:

865

GP:

4

Equipment:

Darksteel Crossbow (WP: 10;

Blinded

-effect), Mythril Shield (SP: 20), Mail of the Renegade Commander (SP: 3; Damage of all Free Hits is halved; Bodywear),

Eye of the Beholder Amulet

(Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round), Counterstrike Gloves (After the wearer is struck by a Free Hit, he counters with strength equal to his Level; Handwear), Cobweb Cowl (immune to Instant-KO; Backwear)

Inventory:

Health Cores (3), Grand Potions (5), Remedies (5), Phoenix Incense, Phoenix Essences (2), Bones (4), Smoke Bombs (3), Teleportapple, Bedroll, Medal of Glory (Mark of true talent that allows the wearer to gain triple experience from battles; Accessory), Dread Hat (permanent

Scary

-effect; immune to Defense Reduction,

Confusion

,

Blindness

,

Badly Poisoned

, and Fragile

; Headwear),

Time: 8:23

"Well, look at that, the Red Assassin gets the job done anyway. Perhaps this should have been your contract, Imp." Avery takes a roll of paper out of her pocket and it bursts into flames. "I'll still have to rearrange the body as it was supposed to be, but no matter."

Outside, Docken and Hybros hear muffled voices, one of which they recognize as the sickly cawing of Dr. Everstien.

Elsewhere in the party, Madame Ladybug greets Guts.

"Hello, Master Guts! It has been a long time since the two of us have seen each other. I trust you remain in good health? And you, Lady Felix? Hmmmmm."

"My health has been dicy of late, but I'm sure that I'm feeling better now that I have this strong man at my side," Lady Felix says sweetly. Madame Ladybug smiles slyly and takes the glass. She smells the liquid, and then allows a small drop of it to drip onto her tongue. Her eyes glaze over very slightly, then she shakes her head and nods thoughtfully.

"A matter best discussed behind closed doors, hmmmm. Where did you find this, Guts? It is a powerful potion, wherever you stumbled upon it. A love potion, surely, long acting as far as I can tell. But it isn't pure. There is something else mixed in as well. Nothing that I'm familiar with, but there remain many mysteries even to the Guild of Invision. Hmmm."

[JimBee]

Hybros brandished the Sword of Ancestral Hatred, pleased to see that it worked so well with his improved assassination skills. Clippard's blood shone crimson on the blade for a moment, but it seemed to soak into the forsaken metal as if sharpening it.

The imp looked quizzically at Avery. "So... you are not set out to kill Guffington, but his poisoner instead? Hm..." He looked to Docken. "Would you mind explaining what is going on here? Heheh..."

[Scubacarrot]

"Thank you, Madame, I have indeed been well. I hope you stay the same. " Guts walks off for a bit, then turns to Lady Felix. "I appreciate the assist, so far, do this for me, and I'll have you travel with us through time. I'd to have my actions be erased from history, myself. Run the glass through Everstien and Daneeka, in that order." Guts takes a Nostrum, Smelling Salts, Mead and Ambrosia, there had been no sign of Hybros and Docken. Something must have come up. Guts slips into the kitchen.

[Brickdoctor]

"So, you didn't mind if I attacked Clippard, even though he was supposed to be your target, but when I tried to keep Lady Marsh in the kitchen by attacking her, then you decide to intervene? "

[Zepher]

"I do not have to explain my actions to you, Warden," says Avery dismissively, but she turns to Hybros with more respect. "You have much to learn of the Red Assassins' ways, Imp. When we are sworn in, we take a binding magical oath. I am not permitted to explain it in full, but if we do not adhere to it, it is deadly. It is one of the things that makes the Red Assassins great. They have no choice but to be. It's natural selection."

Lady Felix accepts the glass from Guts, but walks alongside him as he approaches the kitchen.

"It appears our paths are taking us in similar directions, Captain Holla," she says, indicating Everstien who is standing and talking to the two servers outside of the kitchen door. Guts tries to slip past quietly, but finds that the door is bolted from the inside. Everstien turns at the commotion.

"Ah, Guts, I was just explaining to the servers that we have been denied access to the kitchen for the time being. It seems that Clippard has found some relatively rotten food, and while he's dealing with it he has asked me to keep everyone else out. It appears we will have to forge ahead without him and whatever it was that he was supposed to serve."

"It's no good, we won't have any wine for the party! We need to get in."

"Absolutely unprofessional."

[Scubacarrot]

Guts smirks. He takes the second bottle of wine out of his pack, hands it to the faun. "Deal with it." The raider nods at Felix. "Daneeka then." Looking at the wall, he asks plainly: "How long until...."

Edited July 29, 2013 by Scubacarrot

[JimBee]

"I still do not understand the purpose of your presence here. Who hired you?"

[Zepher]

"A good five minutes until sunset," says Everstien, glancing at the sky as the faun walked off mollified, followed by the blue winged waiter. "I'm sure you can do the math from there."

"I wouldn't be a very good Assassin if I gave away who hired me, now would I?" Avery says. "Let's conclude our business here. The room needs to be clear in time for me to finish my second target."

[Scubacarrot]

The raider started gnashing his teeth, what was the best course of action now? Start covering Guffington, or try to get some more clues out of the guests. Finally, Guts decided to head back towards the rooms, where he saw Lord Marsh last.

[Pandora]

Firstly Zepher, I'm so, so sorry. I hope you know it's not like me to just go AWOL on a quest, especially for so long, but I'm sure you've also seen I've been away from EB as a whole the entire time too. I'm really sorry if I've complicated things, and thank you for not kicking me off the quest, but I expect to be fully participating from here on. Once again, I'm incredibly sorry.

Nyx looks into Everstien's rheumy eyes, appraising them. "Are you sure you're feeling well, cos you really don't look well, and you keep coughing in a really nasty way?"

She looks around the room as she thinks about what he'd said.

"Well, I originally wanted to talk to that waitress for a whole bunch of reasons, but she never appeared out of the kitchen. And the fact that Docken and Hybros have been so long in there still worries me. And the Marshes; each of them said the other wanted Lady Marsh to come, but in that last time-shift, when we fought .. everyone.. Lady Marsh was weak as a kitten. Hardly your "evil mastermind" type. Samuel Shawe and Lord Hinckwell didn't seem to have any sort of motive for wanting Guffy dead. Mme Ladybug was nails, though. She'd make a good secondary attack, and I bet she'd have loads of ways of making it happen, what with all that sciencey stuff they do at the Invision guild. But she'd be a pretty high-profile secondary attack, though. That blue server is the only one who I don't know anything about. I think it's between him, Lord Marsh and Ladybug. I didn't get much out of Ladybug, so I'll go talk to the blue waiter - assuming you won't fall over if you let go of me."

Nyx looks again at Everstien with a mixture of concern and suspicion. She gently peels his claws from her arm and wanders off to find the blue server.

"Oh hello, do you have any wine? I seem to have run out." Nyx offers her empty glass bashfully, evidently hoping it will be refilled "I don't want to be a bother, I'm sure the other guests have been demanding. So Guffington seems a bit of a recluse, first time I've met him really, and I expect first time you've met him too. What do you think of him? Mad as a box of frogs or just quaintly eccentric?"

[Zepher]

OoC: It's a-okay with me! As Sandy constantly reminds us, we are allowed to (perhaps even are supposed to ) have lives outside the game! Glad to see you're back with us!

"I'm alright," says the Were-raven defiantly. "I will go divert the servers from the kitchen to the best of my ability. Wait for them to come this way. I don't want an congregation standing at the door. Too much attention." Everstien walks away and Nyx waits for a while...

As the servers make their way towards Lady Nyx, Guts slips out of the Dining Hall once more.

"Thomas, this lady wants some wine," calls the blue waiter, and Thomas pours a glass of Charissian Wine for Nyx.

"The other guests haven't been-"

"Be quiet, Thomas. A good waiter answers only when he is spoken to, and the lady was speaking to me." The blue server offers his hand. "My name is Watters. I'm sorry for Thomas' manners. I also haven't meet Guffington before, though he is well-known to me and others. He seems eccentric at best. I don't give much thought to him, in all honesty. He is powerful and rich, I am not. We hardly have to travel in each other's circles. I doubt I'll see him again after this evening." The blue server glances peevishly at the kitchen. "Hires strange help and has strange friends. That Everstien is hiding whatever is going on in the kitchen. Lady Marsh might be making trouble, or that girl Avery. Pathetic that the chef can't handle himself."

[Brickdoctor]

OoC: I'm not sure if we're waiting to question Avery further before acting. Unfortunately, the technical difficulties with my internet service just keep piling up, and the end result is that I have no regular home internet access for two weeks to a month. I should still be able to log on fairly often from other places, but if I'm holding something up, any of the other players can make a decision for Docken.

[Pandora]

Nyx sniffs the glass in appreciation and takes a large sip.

"Mmm, very nice, thank you" she smiles, nodding to both Thomas and Watters and shaking Watter's offered hand. "Thomas, do please continue what you were saying, I've been making polite conversation all evening and really I'd just like some juicy gossip. Same with you Watters; what do you mean 'the chef can't handle himself'? I'm sure someone said he was famous or something. And why on earth would Lady Marsh be making trouble? I thought she was a bit .. insipid really, when I met her. Is she known to be a trouble maker? Really? Go on, tell me; it'll be the best conversation I've had all night. Oh, and I'm Nyx, by the way."

[Zepher]

OoC: JimBee or Docken, could you please post actions for your group? I'd like to get this done at some point.

"I was just saying that the other guests have been very manageable so far. No troubles from any of them, really, though Lord Hinckwell clearly doesn't think much of us, and that were-raven gives me the creeps."

"I don't know exactly what's going on with the chef, but the bird won't let us in to see him. Beats me why those two would be making any sort of trouble, but I don't think that Clippard really 'found some rotten food' and won't let us in. I haven't ever heard any thing about either of the Marshes before this evening anyway." The blue server looks around again. "Don't see either of them in the room, actually. Wonder where the fellow disappeared to."

[JimBee]

"Hmm, alright then. I guess we had better clean this mess up before returning to Doc's lab. Docken, could you help me move the Chef's body outside?" After the task was finished Hybros unlocked the door to the dining room and exited, followed by Docken. He turned to Avery and replied, "I will not simply allow you to kill anyone else at this party. Not that it matters now, but when the time comes..."

Heading towards Nyx and Everstein, he whispered. "Well it is about time to go, correct?"

[Pandora]

"I was just saying that the other guests have been very manageable so far. No troubles from any of them, really, though Lord Hinckwell clearly doesn't think much of us, and that were-raven gives me the creeps."

"He gives everyone the creeps." Nyx mutters "You haven't seen him do anything unusual, have you? Like disappearing out of the hall?"

"I don't know exactly what's going on with the chef, but the bird won't let us in to see him. Beats me why those two would be making any sort of trouble, but I don't think that Clippard really 'found some rotten food' and won't let us in. I haven't ever heard any thing about either of the Marshes before this evening anyway." The blue server looks around again. "Don't see either of them in the room, actually. Wonder where the fellow disappeared to."

"That is a good point, Watters. I hope he's not got lost or something. Maybe I should check to see if he's ok?"

Nyx waits for Thomas's reply before heading off in search of Lord Marsh. OoC: If there's time.

[Zepher]

The sun sets abruptly, marking the time as 8:30, giving the heroes approximately twenty-five minutes before the murder of their friend.

Hybros and Docken glance around the room, but find that it has only one exit - the door they locked behind them. There is no where to move the chef. Lady Marsh too, perhaps slightly forgotten at this point, cowers in one of the corners. Avery too stands poised. Her knife has not been returned to its hiding place. It seems that unless the heroes want things to devolve horribly... a second time... they are not quote done in the kitchen yet.

Lady Nyx quietly slips out of the Dining Hall.

[JimBee]

OOC: So confused. Is the battle over or not?

"Well then, if you insist on dying, my dear... heheheh. Docken, I am sure you can handle Avery with the gloves, can you not? Drink this."

Hybros uses a Remedy on both himself and Docken.

Battle Order:

Docken

Docken

Hybros

Hybros

[Zepher]

OoC: BD, please post actions. I don't know if I made it seem like the battle was over, but it's not. I don't think I did any of the normal "battle is over" sort of indications (no levels gained, enemies still listed...). You can get out of the battle through clever thinking, items, or victory. But I will indicate it.

[Brickdoctor]

OoC: We're discussing what to do.

How was I Badly Poisoned? Nobody rolled something to result in that last Round, and I used a Remedy at the beginning of the Round.

[Zepher]

OoC: Ah, sorry! Just didn't see if y'all had heard that the battle was still rolling, and was worried I might be holding up the quest due to faulty communication. And you shouldn't be (and weren't affected by it last round). I just forgot to delete the little denotation next to your name.

[Brickdoctor]

OoC: My fault; I should've posted in here. I'll wait for JimB to change his action since I don't need a Remedy, and then we need to decide if we want to stay in the battle or not...

[Brickdoctor]

I use a Health Core before attacking Avery from the Back Row with my Darksteel Crossbow.

[Zepher]

OoC: I'm just going to have you attack Avery with your second turn, Hybros. If you would have done something different, then we'll change it retro-actively! I, as always, trust you to be honest, and say if you would have done something different regardless of the roll. I'm also switching you to Zoot's Reaper because you can't assassinate her, and assume you'd use your strongest weapon, therefore.

Round Fifteen

>Docken uses Health Core - Full Health

>Docken v. Avery - Hit (41*2=82 Damage)

>Hybros uses Remedy

>Hybros v. Avery - Critical Hit ([15*2]+26/2=28)

Lady Marsh v. Docken - (0 Damage) (16 Counterstrike)

The heroes continue to deal damage to Avery, but they'll need to move more quickly if they're going to dispatch of the Assassin and still make it out to see what happens to Guffington without the poisoner active.

Enemies

Lady Marsh

Level 7 Humanoid

Health: 145/300

Special Damage: Slap – Deals 2 damage to the hero and stuns them.

Drops: 50 gold

Avery the Red Assassin

Level 58 Humanoid *Lucky* *Immune to all effects and Instant Kill*

Health: 978/1160

Special I: Mark of the Red Assassin – Instantly kills target. If target is immune to Instant Kill, the target becomes Doomed.

Passive Special I: Clever Eye - On even rounds, the waitress ignores SP.

Passive Special II: Cloak of the Red Assassin – All damage dealt by the Red Assassin has a

1/3

1/6 chance of killing the target. (If cloak is removed, 1/6).

Passive Special III: Revenge - Whenever Avery is dealt damage by a hero, she remembers. The hero is given a “mark counter”. When Avery deals damage to a hero, the mark counter is used as a multiplier, but removed. Mark counters stack (if there is only one mark counter, it is ignored).

Drops: ???

The Party

Hybros *Party Leader*

Level 26 Assassin

*Hastened*

*Immune to Cursed, Asleep, Blinded, Confused, Fragile, Weakened

*

*Immune to all elements* *Lucky* *Inspired* *1 Mark Counter*

Power:

33

Defense:

0

Health:

39/80

Gold:

749

Equipment:

Sword of Ancestral Hatred

(WP: 7, gains 1 WP every kill made with it, light- and darkness-elemental; longsword)

,

Golden Armor

(user is permanently hastened and cursed, fire-, water-, earth-, wind-, wood-, ice-, lightning-, darkness-, light-elemental, grants immunity to Sleep, Blindness, Confusion, Frailty, and Weakening; bodywear),

Eye of the Beholder Amulet

(Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round),

Cloak of the Red Assassin

(All hits have a 1/3 chance of Assassination, Suitable for Assassins, Backwear)

Inventory:

Zoot's Reaper (WP:15, earth-elemental; scythe),

Clock Cog (WP: 14, retrievable), Banana Bladerang (WP:9, damage all, retrievable), Eye-poking Sai (WP:8, blinded-effect, dagger), Twin Kunai (WP:6, dual strike, dagger), Blessed Amulet (protects from cursed-effect; accessory), Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1, retrievable), 14 Potions, 14 Grand Potions, 21 Health Cores, 12 Remedies, 2 Neutralizers, 2 Elixirs, 5 Phoenix Essences, Deadly Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, 3 Lightning Bombs, 3 Holy Bombs, 14 Nostrums, 2 Meads, 5 Mulled Wines, Minimizing Dust, Bedroll, Shovel, Skeleton Decoy, Bone, Sticky Gloves (Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up); handwear),

Bartholomew Docken

, Dragonslayer

Level 31.5 Warden

*Takes Halved Damage from Free Hits*

*Encouraged* *Hastened* *Lucky* *Immune to Instant Kill* *1 Mark Counter*

Power:

41

Defense:

23

Health:

60/60

Gold:

865

GP:

4

Equipment:

Darksteel Crossbow (WP: 10;

Blinded

-effect), Mythril Shield (SP: 20), Mail of the Renegade Commander (SP: 3; Damage of all Free Hits is halved; Bodywear),

Eye of the Beholder Amulet

(Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round), Counterstrike Gloves (After the wearer is struck by a Free Hit, he counters with strength equal to his Level; Handwear), Cobweb Cowl (immune to Instant-KO; Backwear)

Inventory:

Health Cores (2), Grand Potions (5), Remedies (5), Phoenix Incense, Phoenix Essences (2), Bones (4), Smoke Bombs (3), Teleportapple, Bedroll, Medal of Glory (Mark of true talent that allows the wearer to gain triple experience from battles; Accessory), Dread Hat (permanent

Scary

-effect; immune to Defense Reduction,

Confusion

,

Blindness

,

Badly Poisoned

, and Fragile

; Headwear),

Time: 8:31

"You shall all perish eventually. You know our order's rules, Assassin. All who see us in combat must perish. Our secrets cannot be revealed."

Edited August 3, 2013 by Zepher

[Zepher]

Out in the hallway...

"She must be in the kitchen, it was locked down. We'll get it open. Move."

"I do have high regard for your life, as long as you're not a wrong'un." Nyx sighs "Anyway, I have reason to suspect Lady Marsh might be in the kitchen. Don't ask, it's complicated. Guts and I will take you there, but you need to ignore anything else that may or may not be occurring and move directly to talk to your wife. Let us know what you discover when you discover it. Aside from that, as long as you don't attempt to double cross us, we'll protect you as best we can. Which is usually pretty well."

Nyx takes Lord Marsh's arm as if he were escorting her and gently guides him towards the kitchen door, where she knocks on the door, calling out to Hybros and Docken inside. She smiles pleasantly and nods at passing guests while waiting to enter.

Nyx, Guts and Lord Marsh enter back into the Dining Hall and make their way to the door. Lady Felix makes discreet eye contact with Guts, but does nothing to interfere, and Everstien behaves much the same way, raising an eyebrow but continuing his conversation with Lord Chauncey.