Heroica RPG - Quest#135: Kill Baba

[Sandy]

He turns to Johon, with a glint of hope in his eyes

"Johon, what does your Magic Compass say? I came here to hunt that damned witch... will we truly find her through that portal, or are they just trying to corral us back into the freeport?"

"Thank you for your answers. I do find it curious that you do not trust your Veterans, though." The Sand Queen turned to her colleague. "Cain, that green blob could not have been anything else but a mind-controlling parasite left behind by the celestial invaders at Mt. Ulysses. Could Baba really be allied with them as well? Is there no scope to what the woman can do?"

"The threat she poses is growing day by day, but for now we have no option but to retreat. Heroes, the portal awaits."

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen places the items taken from Symra's body reverently on the bundle of silks.

Betrayed and maligned I may be, but I, neither, am a thief.

The spirit of your lover guided us in those tunnels, her word to us was fulfilled from beyond death. Any promises to you will be similarly honoured. I have no doubt. says Nerwen diplomatically. Turning to the veterans she says,

[Chromeknight]

Let us go to back to Eubric and to the sewers. Whilst we may not get a chance at Baba, Master Pretzel is either a willing accomplice and vengeance needs to be served or he is,can you seem to suggest, an unwitting pawn who ought be rescued.

[Quarryman]

"Miss Calmcacil, I agree, let's go. And Miss Zaniah, I realize this means less than nothing to you coming from a Fenarian, but I truly am sorry about your loss, Syrma was of great help to us and I wish things could have gone differently."

[Sandy]

"Miss Calmcacil, I agree, let's go. And Miss Zaniah, I realize this means less than nothing to you coming from a Fenarian, but I truly am sorry about your loss, Syrma was of great help to us and I wish things could have gone differently."

Zaniah did not respond, but nodded silently. She and the other knights then watched as the heroes followed the Veterans through the portal back to the same chamber they left from a few days ago. The other leaders of Heroica were waiting for them.

The Dragonlord explained the situation to his colleagues.

"So we allow the mindflayer to continue her manipulative schemes, is that it? The Wolfgang has no hope now..."

"When did the Wolfgang ever have hope? Ulric's mission was doomed from the start, no matter how noble he thinks his intentions are."

"We can no longer delay. We must initiate an assault to the sewers and smoke out the witch. I can use my connections..."

"Wait!" The Sand Queen closed her eyes again. "She is gone."

"What do you mean? Did the monk manage to kill her after all?"

"No, but I have a clear vision that the creature known as Baba is no longer in Eubric. And she does not intend to return anytime soon."

"Well, that's somewhat of a relief. At least we don't have to initiate a civil war into this city. The situation is tense enough as it is... But once I get my hands on that monk, I will have a few choice words with him!"

QM Note: And that's it for this quest! It did not work out quite the way I imagined it would, mostly due to the unexpected difficulties I had in my personal life. But I hope you at least got some enjoyment from getting to know more about Baba's background. Below are the final stats, and after that excerpts from Monk Pretzel's quest.

Party:

Johon, The Champion of Darkness (Bricksandparts)

26 years old male human Raider

Level 33 2/4 *Natural Respite* *Permanently Lucky* *1.5 stealing multiplier* *Hide of The Bleeding*

Power: 43 (33+10)

Defense: 1

Health: 47/47 (32+7+7)

Gold: 6962

Equipment: Muckraker (WP:+13, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Beast Warriors/Necromancers/Regulators, *Water, Wood, Earth*, Causes *Weakened*), Satchel of Awesomeness (suit: Anyone, *Permanently Lucky*), Hide of The Bleeding (suit: Anyone, +10HP +5ETH for every enemy user defeats), Sticky Gloves (suit: Rogues/Beast Warriors, 1.5 multiplier for stealing), Dog Statuette (Rover) (suit: Anyone, SP:+1)

Inventory:

Weapons: Old Whip (WP:+10, suit: Rogues/Artisans/Beast Warriors/Decamon Drafters/Harlots/Marauders/Necromancers, 2X damage vs. Beasts), Sword of Decay (WP:+8, suit: Barbaians/Knights/Mages, Causes *Decayed by X-3 rounds* X=dmg dealt/4, Effect does not stack), Greatsword (WP:+3, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Beast Warriors/Necromancers/Regulators), Focal Staff (WP:+5, suit: Clerics/Mages, Ability: Roll 3 at cost of 5 ether), Gladius (WP:+15, suit: Anyone, Darkness, 1/3 chance of causing *Fragile* on succesful hits), Stalker’s Mallet (WP:+8, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Harlots, 1/2 chance of causing *sealed*), Lullaby Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *asleep*), Lovelorn Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *enamored*), Scaridy Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *afraid*), Wand of Wrath (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *enraged*), Shield (SP:+5, Suit: Knights/Dragoons/Regulators/Skirmishers), Qlice (WP:+8, club, Causes *Poisoned-by-4*), Luminous Bow (WP:+9, suit: Rangers/Beast Warriors/Weather Mages/Winged Warriors, 3X damage vs. Fiery/Dark, 0X damage vs. Plants/Aquatic)

Artifacts: Simple Helmet (suit: Anyone, HP:+1), Pseudo's hood (suit: Anyone, Ignores Undead immunity), Quiver of Poisoning (suit: Rangers/Beast Warriors/Infiltrators/Winged Warriors, Causes *Poisoned by 1* using bows/crossbows), Blessed Amulet (suit: Anyone, *Immune to cursed*), Barbarian's Boots (suit: Barbarians/Chi Monks/Beast Warriors, *Restoration*), Counterstrike Gloves (suit: Anyone, deals damage equal to level when hit with free-hit), Sterile Gloves (Suit: Anyone, *Immune to Poisoned/Bleeding*), Bravado Boots (suit: Anyone, 1/6 chance of receiving *Lucky* at start of battle), Scarlet Hood (suit: Anyone, pwr:+4, *immune to stunned*), Steel Core (suit: Anyone, +7 power), Heavy Armour (suit: Barbarians/Knights, SP:+5, *Immune to Fragile*), Tin Helmet (suit: Anyone, *Immune to Hexed/Confused*), Brimstone Armor (SP:6, absorbs fire damage; causes fire damage equal to wearer’s defense to those that hit the wearer with normal attacks; suitable to barbarians, knights, dragoons, skirmishers, regulators and vindicators; bodywear)

Spell Items: Aquamarine (2), Emerald (1), Garnet (1), Opal (1), Ruby (1), Sapphire (1), Topaz (1), Diamond (2), Amethyst (2), Scroll of Sleep (1), Scroll of Blindness (1), Scroll of Sealing (1), Scroll of Confusion (1), Scroll of Frailty (1), Scroll of Weakening (1), Scroll of Antimagic (1)

Consumables: Potion (30), Grand Potion (16), Grand Tonic (1), Health Core (3), Remedy (12), Phoenix Essence (3), Mead (13), Smelling Salts (16), Nostrum (16), Ambrosia (2), Mulled Wine (1), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), Venom (10), Deadly Venom (7), Smoke Bomb (1) , Fire Bomb (1), Water Bomb (4), Lightning Bomb (14), Seal Bomb, Bone (14), Skeleton Decoy (2), Trial Brew (1), Ectoplasm (1), Level-Up Mushroom (1), Grating Stone (1), Blind Fury (1), Neutralizer (1), Equilibrium Tonic (1), Oculoid Miasma (1)

Tools etc.: Shovels (1), Pick-axes (2), Magic Compasses (1), Water Canteens (2), Lonely Island Magniscope (1), Blue Rose (Invasion of Luosh) (1), Fifty Shades of Bley (1), Mythril Shards (1), Silver Ore (1)

Namyrra Uq (Quarryman) *Party Leader*

1337 years old female Fenarian Necromancer

Level 51 1/5 *Immune to Sealed, Slowed, Bound, Confused, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth* *Gains Triple EXP*

Power: 96 (51+45)

Defense: 10

Health: 65/65 (5+50+5+5)

Ether: 70/70 (5+50+1+5+4+5)

Gold: 698

Equipment: Crystal Mace (WP: 45 (5*gems imbued); Fire-, Ice-, Wind-, Water-, Lightning-, Earth-, Wood-, Light-, and Darkness-elemental; Mace), Robe of the Archmagi (SP:3, Ether:5. immune to Sealing, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth, bodywear), Medal of Glory (gain triple XP; accessory), Ethereal Cloak (SP:2, Max. Ether +4, backwear), Fanged Helm (SP:5, headwear), Winged Sandals (Immune to bound and slowed, footwear)

Inventory:

Weapons: Mythril Empyreal Staff (WP:28), Nocturne Flute (WP: 6; inflicts the Asleep effect; Instrument), Pongcanis Shield (SP: 7; Shield)

Artifacts: Gold Dragon Crown (max Ether +6; immune to Stunned; suitable for anyone; Headwear), Desert Cloak (immune to Fire; suitable for anyone; Backwear), Water Canteen (Carries 3 portions of water; Accessory), Cobweb Cowl (immune to Sudden Death; suitable for anyone; Backwear), Winged Sandals (immune to Bound and Slowed; suitable for anyone; Footwear), Paper Doll (immune against Hexed, Accessory)

Spell Items: Amethyst, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Aquamarine, Scroll of Blinding, Scroll of Arc Blinding, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Weakening, Naamah's Hourglass (Randomly causes either Hastened or Slowed to the target at the cost of 3 Ether), Jade Lamp of Summoning (summons Mediq, restoring health equal to the level of the summoner at the cost of 5 Ether)

Consumables: Potions (10), Grand Potions (4), Health Core, Tonics (9), Ether Cores (3), Remedies (12), Phoenix Essences (5), Phoenix Incenses (2), Mead (13), Smelling Salts (4), Nostrum (5), Ambrosia, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired) (2), Deadly Venom (3), Smoke Bombs (2), Holy Bomb, Water Bomb (14), Lightning Bomb (14), Dirt Bomb (3), Aeolus Bomb, Rudra Bomb, Flash Bomb, Demon Repellant (Makes the user impervious to direct attacks from demons for one battle, unless the user is the last one standing), Soul Cage (Doomed-effect to all combatants), Skeleton Decoys (2), Bones (17)

Tools etc.: Pickaxe, Bedroll

Nerwen Calmcacil (Chromeknight)

264 year old female Elven Minstrel

Level 39 *Immune to sealed* *Gains Double EXP*

Power: 51 (39+4+8)

Defense: 2 (1+1)

Health: 53/53 (9+38+11-5)

Ether: 51/51 (5+38+4+1+3)

Gold: 645

Equipment: Party Maracas (WP:4; user is hastened; instrument), Lesser Ethereal Cloak (SP:1, Max. ether +3, immune to sealed; backwear), Leather armour (SP:1; Bodywear), Medal of Valor (Double experience from battles; accessory)

Inventory:

Weapons: Mutt's Flute (WP:10; inflicts Weakened-effect; instrument), Nocturne Flute (WP:6; causes asleep-effect; instrument), Battered wooden flute (WP:6; Darkness-elemental; instrument), Sword of the Warrior of the Light (WP: 14; Light-Elemental, Meditate becomes hits; longsword), Mourning Star (WP: 10; Fire-elemental; inflicts Fragile-effect; mace), Bent Crowbar (WP: 8; 3x damage to Mechanical enemies; hammer), Axe of the Minotaur Champion (WP: 30; user is Slowed and Immune to Hastened, cannot be equipped at the same time as a shield; axe), Shield (SP: 5)

Artifacts: Nordic Stomach Guard (SP: 3; Immunity to Ice and Water; Bodywear; Suitable for Barbarians, Regulators, and Beast Warriors), Shield of the Red Lizard (SP: 2; Immune to Blind), Seal of the Warrior Priestess (At the beginning of the battle the user has a 1/6 chance to be Transcended, a 1/6 chance to be Blessed, and a 1/6 chance to be Inspired; Accessory; Suitable for Paladins), Trickster's Mask of the Angel, Order Imperial's Assassin Cowl (Immune to Light and Darkness, Wearer is Nimble; headwear; Suitable for Assassins, Chi Monks, Infiltrators, Rogue Thieves, Paragons), Razor (user is Blessed and Immune to Bleeding, Enraged, and Encouraged; May take up any artifact slot; requires a shaved head), Helm of the Lord of Light (Immune to Light and Jinxed; headwear; Suitable for Knights), Sylvania's Cowl (Permits Animal Talk, Headwear), Counterstrike Gloves, Zap-Tap Badge (1/2 chance to make lighting-elemental counterstrike an opponent who has dealt damage to a hero, equal to the hero's level; Accessory),

Spell Items: Opal (2), Topaz (2), Diamond (2), Amethyst, Garnet, Sapphire, Emerald, Aquamarine, Ruby, Scroll of Sleep, Scrolls of Blindness, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Confusion, Hundred Hero Hymn (Battle Song that doubles the current and maximum health for the rest of the party for the remainder of the round. Stacks with the inspired-effect. Costs 2 ether per ally.)

Consumables: Potions (10), Grand Potion (2), Health Core, Tonics (3), Grand Tonic, Ether Core (2), Elixir (2), Remedy (6), Neutralizer (2), Tiger Balm (2), Phoenix Essence (3), Nostrum (2), Smelling Salts (2), Ambrosia (4), Mulled Wine, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), Venom (4), Fire Bomb, Ice Bombs (2), Lightning Bomb, Water Bombs (2), Dirt Bombs (2), Air Bomb, Baldur Bomb, Bone, Milk (restores 15 HP and 15 Ether), Red Death Blood (Once applied to a weapon the first successful hit deals doomed, consumable) (2), Sushi (restores 5 health and ether), Feather of Lithe, Grating Stone

Tools etc.: Shovel, Bedroll, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Pickaxe

Thormanil Nihai, Dragonslayer, Orc-kin (swils)

23 years old male vertically challenged giant Dragoon

Level 48 1/5 *Immune to Darkness, Light, Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Asleep, Blinded, Bound, Confused, Fragile,Slowed, and Weakened*

Power: 65 (48+16+1)

Defense: 13 (10+3)

Health: 70/70 (8+47+15)

Gold: 2099

Equipment: Shishkebab (WP:16, dual-strike, darkness-elemental, lance),Skirmisher's Shield (SP:10, shield), Bright Armor (SP:3, Wearer is immune to Darkness, bodywear), Winged Sandals (Wearer is immune to Light, Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, and Lightning, and the Asleep, Blinded, Bound, Confused, Fragile, Slowed, and Weakened-effects; footwear)

Inventory:

Weapons: Dragonsbane Lance (WP: 20, triple damage to enemies with 'Dragon' in their name, lance), Gladiator Trident (WP:11, Spear, causes bleeding-by-5 effect), Guardian Halberd (WP: 5, target's defense is used as additional WP, halberd), Duplovian Swift Halberd (WP:3, deals Stunned, halberd), Tongue on a Stick (WP:1, Miss -> "Aim"), Frozen Saber (WP:9, longsword, Stuns enemies), Repeater Crossbow (WP:7, crossbow. Hastened for first round of combat while equipped.), Mercutio's Dagger of Mugging (WP:5, +5 gold from stealing; dagger), Composite Bow (WP:11, ignores defense, bow), Crystal Shield (SP:2 multiplied by the amount of gems imbued; cannot be upgraded otherwise; shield)

Artifacts:Trickster's Mask of the Gender Swap (Accessory), Trickster's Mask of the Weredog (Accessory), Trickster's Mask of the Elf (Accessory), Sticky Gloves (Handwear, Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up)), Aqua Gear (Wearer deals and is immune to water-elemental damage, accessory)

Spell Items: 2x Amethyst (Darkness), Emerald (Wood), Opal (Ice)

Consumables: 2x Potion, Diluted Arc Tonic, Grand Tonic, 4x Remedy, 3x Phoenix Essence, Neutralizer, Milk, 2x Elixir, Nostrum, 3x Smelling Salts, 3x Mulled Wine, Soma, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Jinxy Juice, 2x Feather of Lithe, 3x Venom, 2x Deadly Venom, 2x Fire Bomb, Lightning Bomb, 3x Smoke Bomb, Ice Bomb, 4x Water Bomb, Doomsday Bomb (99 damage to all enemies), 2x Grating Stone, Teleportapple

Tools etc.: Pickaxe, Shovel, Magnifying Glass

Arx the Youngling (Pet Dragon controlled by swils)

Level: 48 1/5

Health: 78/78 (30+48)

Element: Ice

Monk Pretzel and His 99 Pieces, the Super Sleuth (Palathadric)

463-year-old male "hermit" Artisan

Level 34 1/4 *Immune to Magic and Healing* *Lucky* *Hastened* *Triple Exp*

Power: 45 (34+10+2)

Defense: 12 (10+2)

Health: 59/59 (9+33+15+2)

Gold: 1305

Equipment: Dual Staff (WP:10; Ice, Lightning, Fire, Wind, Light; Dual Strike; Staff), Armour of Dark Arts (SP: 10; Takes up: Bodywear, Handwear, Footwear slots; counts as one artifact; Suitable to Knights, Dragoons, and Skirmishers), Duplovian Helmet (SP:2; Immune to Magic and Healing; Headwear), Soul Link Chain (Allows the user to pair up with another party member, both of them gaining all the effects that the other has. The partner has to equip the chain as well (ie. one chain can be shared by two people); Accessory), Medal of Glory (Wearer gains triple experience, accessory)

Inventory:

Weapons: Splinter Broom (WP: 9; Broomstick; defies SP), Flying Cross (WP: 11; Darkness; Broomstick), , Whip of Savage Overlords (WP: 9; ⅙ chance of inflicting the Slowed effect; Whip), Staff of the Necromancer (WP: 12; damages Undead; +1 Level to raised Undead; Staff), Shadeaux Mace (WP: 9; deals Fragile effect, Mace), Steak (WP: 1, instantly kills vampires on successful hits; suitable for all), Mythril Shield (SP: 20)

Artifacts: Marauder’s Mantle (Grants permanent reinforced effect; Suitable to Marauders; Backwear), Darksteel Armour (SP: 6; Max. Health +3; Bodywear), Strategist's Shako (+5 power while in the front row, +5 SP while in the back; Headwear), Burning Knuckle Helmet (SP: 10; Wearer suffers Burning -3 effect; Suitable for Anyone; Headwear), Bumble Fanshirt (SP: 1, Vermin with level less than half of the wearers are scared and won't directly attack the wearer; Bodywear), Order Imperial Prophet's Armor (SP: 8; Grants Command; Suitable for Prophets; Bodywear), Duke's Coat-of-Arms (SP: 5, Protects against Fragile and all Poisons; Suitable for Knights, Dragoons, Skirmishers and Regulators, Bodywear), Cloak of the Barbaric Runecaster (SP: 3; wearer creates and deploys a Skeleton Decoy at the start of every battle; Suitable for Battle Mages, Necromancers, and Scholars; Backwear), Ethereal Cloak (SP: 2, Max Ether +4; Backwear), Cloak of Necrotic Shielding (SP: 3; Provides Special Guard against Undead enemies; Backwear), Rock Gauntlets (Grants the wearer Iron Fist at no ether cost; Suitable for anyone; Handwear), Counterstrike Gloves (Handwear), Soothing Slippers (Meditation restores 5 ether; Footwear), Shackles of War (Accessory), Lens of Speed Reading (allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action; accessory, suitable for scroll users),

Spell Items: 2 Amethysts, 2 Emeralds, Garnet, 2 Aquamarines, Diamond, Ruby, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Blindness x 2, Scroll of Confusion x 2, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Minimizing (Has 1/2 chance of causing the minimized-effect on the target; costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Arc Sleep

Consumables: 5 Potions, 15 Grand Potions, Cherry (Restores 1 ether), 2 Tonics, Ether Core, Grand Elixir (Restores full health and ether to target and remedies all negative effects), 8 Remedies, 3 Neutralizers, Tiger Balm, 5 Phoenix Essences, 2 Phoenix Incenses, 4 Meads, 2 Smelling Salts, 2 Nostrums, Soma, Mulled Wine, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), 5 Venoms, 5 Deadly Venoms, 2 Paralyzing Venoms, 3 Jinxy Juices, 5 Smoke Bombs, 2 Fire Bombs, Holy Bomb, Military Grade Fire Bomb, 2 Blind Bombs, 2 Seal Bombs, Sleep Bomb, 6 Bones, Raw Meat (+5 max. health upon consumption), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the Poisoned by 7 and Cursed effects permanently), Strong Wasabi (-2 Poisoned permanently), Grating Stone (Increases WP of any weapon by 1.)

Tools etc.: Bedroll, Pickaxe, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Shovel, Magic Compass, Magic Shovel (1/3 uses) (will always find something when used, limited to three uses per quest)

You wake up and the first thing you see are a pair of owl eyes staring at you. You realize you are no longer in your own bunk, but tied to a chair in a cavernous room. You felt a gag in your mouth, so you couldn't even speak.

"There you are. Sorry to disturb your sleep, Friar. Is that a proper way to address you? Do you know who I am? I am the one you have been sent to kill. Some call me Baba, to others I am Barbariccia Dellamore, and there are still few who remember me as Sorceress Ambergaze. I have had other names in the past, as well, but originally I had none. I was just one of many, but now they are all gone... But I digress. The Veterans have underestimated my will to survive. It's what has kept me going for millennia after millennia, and I am not going to let them undo my work now. You, dear Friar, have proven that you have at least some sympathy for the cause of Ulric and the Wolfgang, so that is why I chose you."

The owl-eyed witch leaned into a container and pulled out a writhing green thing.

"Grrrglllbrl."

"Your quest is not to find the means to kill me, oh no, but to make sure that the quest fails. Don't let the others catch you red-handed, though, for you will only earn their ire. Should you succeed, the Wolfgang will reward you richly once Ulric becomes a king. And if you're not feeling up to the task, this little fellow will give you all the motivation you need. Through this parasite I will gain control of your body and mind. You will have to obey my every command, and every attempt - even the slightest thought - to reveal my little plan will cause searing pain to you. But you wouldn't resist anyway, would you, dear Friar? I am not a bad person, I merely want to live. So do you, I bet. I think we have reached a common understanding. Now, this will only sting a little..."

The witch started to place the parasite on your head.

QM Note: It is my pleasure to announce that you have been chosen as the Traitor for Quest#135. As the Traitor, your task is to work as Baba's undercover agent and make sure that the quest fails before it is announced successful - whether it is by losing a battle or some other means. Baba will give you hints how to succeed via the parasite throughout the quest. Doing so will earn you increased reputation among the Wolfgang and a position in Ulric's court, should that happen. You naturally cannot talk about this fact with your quest mates, not even privately.

Now, you have one final chance to refuse this role. If you refuse, you unfortunately cannot participate in the quest, and I will choose someone else to become the Traitor instead. But I beg of you not to talk about any of this outside this PM if you bail out, as it will ruin the entire quest for everyone.

Do you have any questions before making the decision to play along or not? Have you understood what being a Traitor would require from you?

Baba could hardly make out what you mumbled through your gag.

"Now now, do not resist. It will only make this more painful for both of us... Well, mostly to you." The parasite latches onto your head tightly, and you can feel the tentacles squirm and writhe across your skull. You begin to feel numb and your will to resist fades. "Good, it worked like a charm. You're a good boy, Friar! Now, I'm going to form a telepathic link with the parasite now, as well as veil it with an invisibility spell. I am sure your quest mates would wonder if you showed up with a green octopus on your head, hehe."

The witch closes her fiery eyes, and begins an incantation. To your amazement, she seems to be grow older by the second as her blonde hair turns gray and wrinkles appear on her smooth skin. Then she opens her eyes again, and suddenly you can hear her voice in your head.

"Go now, and do my bidding, good Friar. I will be watching after you."

Suddenly you lose consciousness, and wake up in your own bed. Was it just a bad dream? No, the heavy burden on top of your head confirms that it was all too real...

As you face the creature of the Void, you hear Baba's voice in your head.

"Can you hear me, puppet? How do you like my little surprise? The Void Eater is not a demon, but a sort of interdimensional janitor, keeping the Void clean of all material filth that seeps into it. Just let it eat you and your friends, it won't hurt... much. Your precious Oracle will pull you out eventually, but it will give me enough time to make sure that the Psycrown is destroyed. Oops, spoilers! Forget I ever mentioned it, dear Friar."

In the midst of the forest fire, Baba speaks in your mind again.

"Too bad the Void Eater turned out to be a dud. I have to up the ante, it seems... Luckily I still have a certain friend in Spesialia. He has organized some fireworks to welcome you. Aren't they lovely? Now, puppet, you have to convince your mates to run into the fire to meet my friend. Try not to get yourself burned too badly..."

"Meet Rastaban, an old acquaintance of mine from my days spent in Dastan Empire. Make sure you and your companions get into a battle with him. You mustn't let the dragoon sweet talk Rastaban into leaving. The dragon is destructive, but awfully capricious and prone to self-indulgence."

"How unfortunate that even Rastaban was no match for your companions. I must up the ante... In the meanwhile, you must find a way to knock out the necromancer. The prepercussions of her interrogating the reanimated Rastaban would be dire to my cause..."

"Before you do anything hasty, dear friar, find that alibi. You might get a stone thrown into that bell if only your companion looks the other way - but first you have to get him to do that."

"What are you doing?! Kill the last rockling before that accursed necromancer can get the Titan to her ranks as well! Oh, and be prepared - I've got a nice surprise for your friends waiting at the labyrinth below."

"So far you have been an utter disappointment, friar. I think I have to punish you more if you keep failing me. Now, you have entered an enchanted labyrinth - the walls can be moved with the power of thought, if one knows how. Luckily those tunnels are my home turf, so I have the power. You will have to be my eyes and ears, though, and assess the situation to our benefit. You must lead your companions to my demonic friend dwelling in the labyrinth and block their access to the exit at the same time. Here, I will show you your surroundings."

QM Note: The tan microfig is your party, while the purple is the demon. The red star is the starting point, and the red arrows denote the rows of tiles that can be pushed. The brown tiles are treasure chests. Finally, the circle tile in the middle is the exit.

The labyrinth has 5x5 tiles, 14 of which can be moved. You can push one row of tiles in either direction one tile at a time after each time the party moves. The tile that falls off will be relocated at the other end of the row in the orientation you choose. The demon will move towards the party one tile at a time after that.

What row would you like to push first (upper, lower, right or left), in which direction, and how will you orientate the relocated tile?

"Well done, friar! Farfarello will surely make your companions his playthings, but you should do everything you can to help the demon. There is no holding back anymore, for if your little troupe reaches Fenario, there is very little I can do to prevent them from gaining that blasted crown.

Just beware - once your treachery is revealed, the illusion that camouflages the parasite will fade and the truth will be revealed. So wait for the right moment to act to catch everyone by surprise."

You wake up, separated from your companions after witnessing their demise, in the same room where the parasite was planted in your head. You can feel it is gone now, along with the compelling need to do as Baba tells you. The mindflayer is there, along with an imposing werewolf.

"Welcome back, friar. You did well... in the end. Do not worry about your little friends, they will live." Baba turned to the werewolf. "Let me introduce you to Ulric Wolfkin, our fabled leader. Ulric, this is Monk Pretzel. He has done well for us."

But Ulric does not look happy to you.

"Rubbish! You forced him to do your bidding with that disgusting creature from who-knows-where! I can only imagine what he thinks of our noble cause now..." Ulric stares you in the eye, as if trying to look inside your mind. "I admit being guilty of coercing people on my side, but I have always had the best interest of the common people in my mind. This society thrives on people stomping on each other to succeed, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Just think of what the world would be if we worked together for a common goal, lifting up those in need rather than oppressing them! That is the vision I had emblazed in my mind when I came to Eubric - the city of chaos and turmoil. I have worked hard to sow a seed of harmony into that chaos, but before that kind of order can take place, the old ways must be abolished. The Houses in power only want power to themselves, regardless of the people who who work tirelessly to make sure the Houses have a city to rule in the first place.

Look at me! I have gathered enormous wealth and countless supporters, yet I still walk around in worn-out leather. I sleep on top of a direwolf, not in silk sheets. I eat the same bread and brew as everyone else down here, nobody cooks me fancy dinners. I may be the king to be, but I refuse to wear any crowns. I just want to establish order to this city that I was guided to, and rule it justly like I was destined to. Me, a foreigner, with nothing more to give, with nothing to lose. Tell me, Monk Pretzel, am I a king you would support?"

What will you answer?

Dazed from the experience of the last few days/weeks/or however long it was, I just gaze stupidly at both the witch and Ulrik throughout his whole speech, finally I snap myself together.

For a brief second, I think about my answer.

The witch is here, she could take control of my mind again. They will surely kill me...

My face clouds over though as I remember all that I experienced under the witches grasp, and what it would mean for my future at Heroica. Any fear I feel is replaced by bitter hatred bordering on pure rage.

"You, for a king? Never! So long as you allow yourself to associate with witches such as this, I can never support you. How do you know you are not being controlled in your mind by this fiend as we speak? Frankly, I don't care what your interests are any more, since I have seen your methods of attaining them. You may not seek riches and have a lust for gold and comfort, but surely that is not the worst of cravings. You, on the other hand, appear to be nothing more than a power-driven beast who thinks of nothing but how to get to the pinnacle of power and keep yourself there. If the poor can be of use to you, then you will use them. It's easier and cheaper to satisfy many poor than a few rich.

"Perhaps the Wolfgang have done, some good somewhere, though I have seen nothing that would make me believe that what you say is true. From what I have seen of your people, they only cause suffering for the weak and poor who cannot defend themselves. Or perhaps it's only above ground that you aid the poor, but you only do the things that can be seen by the eyes of those who support you're trying to gain.

"I acknowledge that many of the houses have not done much good, though some receive only evil acknowledgement of what little good they do. However, at this stage, having a power-hungry tyrant who probably eats human flesh at the head of this island with a manipulative, mind-controlling witch at his side would probably rank as the furthest thing from what I would consider a hope for the future.

"I don't know, perhaps you were a good person once upon a time, I know there are heroes who probably think highly of you, but so long as you associate with scum of the earth such as this, you will never have Heroica's support and you will never have my support.

"I have given up much to help this city. Being a true hero comes at a cost. Now I do not know if I'll ever be able to walk through the doors of the Hall again," I choke a bit and swallow hard, thinking about Nerwen, Namyrra, and the others and what they must think of me, "...after just a few days of being under the witch's control. Are you willing to let this witch ruin whatever good you may have, originally, achieved and replace it with her vileness."

My eyes brim over, as I think about how so much good I had achieved felt so petty compared to a few days of madness. Even death couldn't scare me now, I had nothing to go back to anyway. At this point, living seemed scarier than death.

Instead of getting angry, Ulric is taken aback by your words.

"Cause suffering to the poor? Eat flesh? Where have you heard such claims about me? I admit that by seizing control of the crime in Eubric was not the most moral way to set foot in this city, but I had no other means to do so. I had absolutely nothing when I came to Eubric, but look at where I stand now: I am a leader of thousands upon thousands, all just waiting to get their chance to avenge the wrongs that have been committed to them by the noble and mighty Houses. But I do not seek vengeance myself - I seek justice. It is time to install peace and order to this city once and for all. I am offering you a chance to be a part of that new order. Should you refuse, you are free to walk away, and the Wolfgang will not bother you again."

"But..."

"You do not have a say in this, Mindflayer." Ulric turned back to Pretzel. "What this woman did to you was all on her, I had nothing to do with it. She was trying to protect herself like she has for all the centuries she has been alive - which to my understanding are many. She is powerful, but my kingdom to come does not need her."

"Watch your words, beast!"

"The Mindflayer is running out of her usefulness, which is why I am glad she told me the way to defeat her." Ulric opened a pouch, took out a heavy crown and placed it on his head.

"The Psycrown! No, you wouldn't!"

"This is the only crown I will ever wear, Barbie. While you were scheming against Heroica, I sent my own agents to retrieve this artifact from Fenario. With this on my head, you have no power over me, and I will always know where you are. Now, I want you to leave this city. I am officially calling off our contract, Barbie."

"You will regret this, Ulric Wolfkin! All of Eubric will regret this!" Her amber eyes flaring with rage, Baba summoned a whirlpool of light, into which she and her belongings all vanished.

"Now, Monk Pretzel, will you support my cause?"

I remain in awe for some time by the exchange. Did I really just push the Wolfgang "messiah" into banishing the witch. I somehow feel a complete lack of glory and it makes me more annoyed at the would-be king than anything.

Still, now that the witch was gone, I felt strangely devoid of reasons to refuse the Wolf's offer.

Stating, 'no, because you're a demonic beast,' just didn't seem like a good enough excuse.

I can only mutter weakly, the few members of the Wolfgang that I encountered caused nothing but trouble and abused a poor, weak, and downtrodden people relentlessly. How can I know that you will not do the same? How can I know for sure that you will do a better job at putting a stop to the wicked things your people are doing once you're king than now?"

"Which members are we talking about? You have to understand that I had to ally myself with the lowest of the low when I first arrived here. Those people had to resort to crime because they themselves were poor and downtrodden. Once I had merged most of the gangs in this city into the Wolfgang, I introduced them to an option: instead of stealing and mugging, we could start working together for a future free of oppression and inequality. Those that were not open to the idea had to be eliminated, of course.

Most of the people here in Wolf's Den still come from rough backgrounds, so they are used to resorting to equally rough means. Nobility and honor are not words you often hear down here in the sewers, you must understand that. But I am constantly working on establishing law and order here, but as long as the city is ruled by the wealthy oppressors, there can be no change. That is why I agreed to work with Barbie, which in retrospect turned out to be a bad idea. Little did I know she was no normal witch, but an ancient monsters. Now she is gone, for good I hope, and I have to look to other allies. Some members of Heroica have endorsed my agenda already, and you have helped us out in the past, too, so I would like to know if you still feel the same. I can make no promises about the future, but if my endeavor succeeds, I will see to it that you have a prominent place in my court. And of course you need compensation for the suffering you had to endure in Barbie's tentacles."

What do you respond? Refusing Ulric's offer means you return to Hall empty-handed but with your pride intact, while joining the Wolfgang might estrange you from your companions but be lucrative in the long run.

"Those damn "Sewer Wolves" for one. Bloody fools, the lot of them, especially that disgusting slug...ugh!

"Look, I don't know how things will work out, but this city is in a rotten mess and in desperate need of cleaning up. I have to say that what I've seen of your folks, I've not been impressed with, but perhaps you are different, perhaps having a place in your court would go some way in helping to make things better. In any case, I don't know how much more of a role I will have in Heroica, so I've going to remain in Eubric, I've got to have something to attach myself too. That witch may have just ruined all that I've tried to achieve in the last few years, so I am ready to join the cause of the one who is equipped to resist her. Just know that in the future, we can never let her get away this easily as we did now. She is too dangerous for that, if not to you than to others. I must ask for the favour of being the one to slay her if ever she sets foot in Eubric again or anywhere for that matter. It will certainly raise my standing with Heroica as well, which can only benefit you."

"The Sewer Wolves are rogues and ruffians, and that's all they will ever be. I cannot micromanage everyone who lives down here, but I will keep a better eye on that lot to make sure they don't hurt our cause any more." Ulric extended his hairy hand to Monk Pretzel. "Welcome to the Wolfgang, friar. I wish I could promise you Barbie's head, but from what I've learned, you will have to get into a long line. Even the self-imposed emperor of Babeleth came to me, trying to coax me into giving her to his hands."

You now have an increased reputation with the Wolfgang.

~THE QUEST IS SUCCESSFUL!~

"Before you go, I want to discuss you about the compensation. Is 1000 gold enough for you?"

[Palathadric]

My gold should be 2205. Just noticed here it's at 953.

Then I get 52 gold here,

And then my gold goes to 105 here instead of 1005.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Palathadric

[Bricksandparts]

OoC: Roleplaying wise, what happened to monk? I'm quite confused as it is...

Edited September 18, 2015 by Bricksandparts

[Sandy]

QM Note: Here are Monk Pretzel's corrected stats. He got a point of experience from the last battle, and the amount of gold he has was wrong due to a typo.

Monk Pretzel and His 99 Pieces, the Super Sleuth (Palathadric)

463-year-old male "hermit" Artisan

Level 34 2/4 *Immune to Magic and Healing* *Lucky* *Hastened* *Triple Exp*

Power: 45 (34+10+2)

Defense: 12 (10+2)

Health: 59/59 (9+33+15+2)

Gold: 2205

Equipment: Dual Staff (WP:10; Ice, Lightning, Fire, Wind, Light; Dual Strike; Staff), Armour of Dark Arts (SP: 10; Takes up: Bodywear, Handwear, Footwear slots; counts as one artifact; Suitable to Knights, Dragoons, and Skirmishers), Duplovian Helmet (SP:2; Immune to Magic and Healing; Headwear), Soul Link Chain (Allows the user to pair up with another party member, both of them gaining all the effects that the other has. The partner has to equip the chain as well (ie. one chain can be shared by two people); Accessory), Medal of Glory (Wearer gains triple experience, accessory)

Inventory:

Weapons: Splinter Broom (WP: 9; Broomstick; defies SP), Flying Cross (WP: 11; Darkness; Broomstick), , Whip of Savage Overlords (WP: 9; ⅙ chance of inflicting the Slowed effect; Whip), Staff of the Necromancer (WP: 12; damages Undead; +1 Level to raised Undead; Staff), Shadeaux Mace (WP: 9; deals Fragile effect, Mace), Steak (WP: 1, instantly kills vampires on successful hits; suitable for all), Mythril Shield (SP: 20)

Artifacts: Marauder’s Mantle (Grants permanent reinforced effect; Suitable to Marauders; Backwear), Darksteel Armour (SP: 6; Max. Health +3; Bodywear), Strategist's Shako (+5 power while in the front row, +5 SP while in the back; Headwear), Burning Knuckle Helmet (SP: 10; Wearer suffers Burning -3 effect; Suitable for Anyone; Headwear), Bumble Fanshirt (SP: 1, Vermin with level less than half of the wearers are scared and won't directly attack the wearer; Bodywear), Order Imperial Prophet's Armor (SP: 8; Grants Command; Suitable for Prophets; Bodywear), Duke's Coat-of-Arms (SP: 5, Protects against Fragile and all Poisons; Suitable for Knights, Dragoons, Skirmishers and Regulators, Bodywear), Cloak of the Barbaric Runecaster (SP: 3; wearer creates and deploys a Skeleton Decoy at the start of every battle; Suitable for Battle Mages, Necromancers, and Scholars; Backwear), Ethereal Cloak (SP: 2, Max Ether +4; Backwear), Cloak of Necrotic Shielding (SP: 3; Provides Special Guard against Undead enemies; Backwear), Rock Gauntlets (Grants the wearer Iron Fist at no ether cost; Suitable for anyone; Handwear), Counterstrike Gloves (Handwear), Soothing Slippers (Meditation restores 5 ether; Footwear), Shackles of War (Accessory), Lens of Speed Reading (allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action; accessory, suitable for scroll users),

Spell Items: 2 Amethysts, 2 Emeralds, Garnet, 2 Aquamarines, Diamond, Ruby, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Blindness x 2, Scroll of Confusion x 2, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Minimizing (Has 1/2 chance of causing the minimized-effect on the target; costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Arc Sleep

Consumables: 5 Potions, 15 Grand Potions, Cherry (Restores 1 ether), 2 Tonics, Ether Core, Grand Elixir (Restores full health and ether to target and remedies all negative effects), 8 Remedies, 3 Neutralizers, Tiger Balm, 5 Phoenix Essences, 2 Phoenix Incenses, 4 Meads, 2 Smelling Salts, 2 Nostrums, Soma, Mulled Wine, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), 5 Venoms, 5 Deadly Venoms, 2 Paralyzing Venoms, 3 Jinxy Juices, 5 Smoke Bombs, 2 Fire Bombs, Holy Bomb, Military Grade Fire Bomb, 2 Blind Bombs, 2 Seal Bombs, Sleep Bomb, 6 Bones, Raw Meat (+5 max. health upon consumption), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the Poisoned by 7 and Cursed effects permanently), Strong Wasabi (-2 Poisoned permanently), Grating Stone (Increases WP of any weapon by 1.)

Tools etc.: Bedroll, Pickaxe, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Shovel, Magic Compass, Magic Shovel (1/3 uses) (will always find something when used, limited to three uses per quest)