Heroica RPG - Quest #50: 108 Stars of Destiny

[Darkdragon]

Cinna repeats her attack.

[Peppermint_M]

Tesni looked to Cinnia. "End of the line friend. We attack!"

[Sandy]

QM Note: I wish you guys would have said something sooner. It's just sad to end it like this...

Results of Round Two Hundred and Thirty-Five of the 108 Stars of Destiny Battle:

>Cinna vs. Fiery-eyed Lion - Critical Hit (Lion: 770 health-(64x2=128 dmg)=642 health)

Tesni vs. Ten Feet of Blue - Defended Counter (Tesni: 48 health+12 SP-32 dmg=28 health; Blue: 354 health-(56x8=448 dmg)=0 health)

Double Spears+Faceless - Free Hit vs. Cinna (Cinna: 10 health+10 SP-(45+33=78 dmg)=0 health)

Double Spears+Touching the Sky - Free Hit vs. Tesni (Tesni: 28 health+12 SP-(45+29=74 dmg)=0 health)

Double Spears - Blessed (+3 health)

Fiery-eyed Lion - Blessed (+3 health)

Ten Feet of Blue - Blessed (+3 health)

Touching the Sky - Blessed (+3 health)

Cinna and Tesni fight the best they can, and they even manage to take out the Ten Feet of Blue. Tesni gets a Remedy and a Star Coin!

Ultimately both women fall before the overwhelming power, and darkness consumes them...

THE CONTINUOUS BATTLE HAS FAILED!

73/108 Stars Defeated!

...

Bright sunlight and a loud noise wakes up Hybros. The last the imp remembers is the white mountain of fur approaching him with two mighty spears and piercing his small body. He opens his eyes to see the sun and pure white clouds above him. Then a face appears.

"Wakey wakey, Signore Hybros! Don't worry, your friends are all with us here."

Hybros gets up to see that he is once again aboard the Destiny's Bounty. Cinna and Namyrra are talking quietly, Tarn is pouring Tesni a drink, and even Sir Christopher is there, sulking away in a corner. The cabin's door opens and Vincent Legonardo steps out to the deck.

"Ah, I told Monalisa that fresh air is all you required to come to your senses, Hybros. Your wounds were great, but I know a bit about the magic that binds you Heroica warriors. I don't know how long it could have protected you if we hadn't been there to pull you out. It was quite a havoc you caused at the pagoda. The remaining bandits were in such a disarray that it was no problem to fetch your bodies. But please tell me, what ever happened to Young Master Jun?"

Hybros looked around, and did not see the blue-faced warrior among his companions.

Party:

Cinna the Dark (darkdragon)

19 years old female human Mystic Knight

Level 25 1/3

*Immune to Stunned,

Lightning

and

Earth

*

Power:

45

(25+19+1)

Defense:

10

(9+1)

Health:

43/43

(5+24+7+1+6)

Ether:

37/37

(5+24+6+1+1)

Gold:

800

Equipment:

Mauryl (WP:19, broomstick),

Turtleshell Shield (SP:9),

Gold Dragon Crown (Max. Ether +6; immunity to

lightning

and stunned; suitable to mages, clerics, minstrels and necromancers)

, Black Dragon Robe (Max. Health +6; immunity to

earth

; suitable to mages, rogues and chi monks; bodywear), Anniversary Medal:Y1 (+1 to all stats per year; accessory)

Inventory:

Healing Staff (WP:9, heals target; staff)

,

Naginata (WP:10; halberd),

Pointy Hat (Max. Ether +2, suitable for mages and clerics; headwear), High Heels (Power +1, suitable for women; footwear),

Brown Dragon Girdle (Power +3; immunity to wood; suitable to rangers, rogues, alchemists and beast warriors), Seductive Perfume (Adds enamored-effect to all attacks; suitable to females only; accessory), Paper Parasol (Protects from light- and water-elements; accessory), 2 Amethysts (

Darkness

), Topaz (

Lightning

), Opal (

Ice

), Ruby (

Fire

), Emerald (

Wood

), Diamond (

Light

), Garnet (

Earth

), Scroll of Sleep, 6 Grand Potions, 5 Remedies, Elixir, Phoenix Essence, 5 Meads, Smelling Salt, Soma, 3 Deadly Venoms, Fire Bomb, Floral Bomb, Air Bomb, Bedroll, 3 Bones, 3 Scrap Metals (worth 25 gold), Silver Ore (worth 60 gold), Grating Stone (WP+1),

Bright Polish (SP +1 to one shield or accessory upon use),

24 Star Coins

Hybros (JimButcher)

***Party Leader***

50-year-old male imp Assassin

Level 26

*Hastened*

*Immune to Cursed and

Fire

*

Power:

41

(26+15)

Defense:

2

Health:

40/40

(7+25+5+1+2)

Gold:

3337

Equipment:

Zoot's Reaper (WP:15,

earth

-elemental),

Golden Armor (user is permanently hastened and cursed; bodywear),

Aurora Helmet (SP:2, immune to

fire

; headwear

),

Blessed Amulet (protects from cursed-effect; accessory)

Inventory:

,

Clock Cog (WP: 14, retrievable),

Banana Bladerang (WP:9, damage all, retrievable),

Eye-poking Sai (WP:8, blinded-effect, dagger)

,

Lumber Axe (WP: 8,

wood

-elemental axe),

Throwing Knife (WP:8, retrievable), Throwing Knife (WP:8, retrievable), Ancient Throwing Dagger (WP: 8, retrievable), Eclipse Guitar (WP:7,

darkness

-elemental instrument), Starlight Guitar (WP:7,

light

-elemental instrument)

,

Twin Kunai (WP:6, dual strike, dagger),

Nocturne Flute (WP:6, asleep-effect, instrument),

Shuriken of Mercutio (WP:5, retrievable),

Shuriken (WP:5, retrievable), Shuriken (WP:5, retrievable),

Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1, retrievable),

Blue Dragon Cape (Immunity to slowed and water; suitable to knights, rangers and dragoons; backwear),

Noble Mask (Wearer gains gold equal to the number of enemies after each victorious battle; headwear),

2

Emeralds (

Wood

)

, 14 Potions, 14 Grand Potions, 22 Health Cores, 9 Remedies, 2 Neutralizers, 2 Elixirs, 2 Phoenix Essences, Deadly Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, 3 Lightning Bombs, 3 Holy Bombs,

Gaia Bomb (100 earth-elemental damage to all enemies),

9 Nostrums, 2 Meads,

Tiger Balm (Grants immunity to all effects for one battle),

Minimizing Dust, Bedroll, Shovel, Skeleton Decoy, Bone, Certificate for a Cloak of a Red Assassin (The next red assassin met is forced to give up his cloak),

Gate Vajra (Allows the party to teleport to any visited room inside the pagoda at the cost of 1 turn; quest item)

, 31 Star Coins

Namyrra Uq (Quarryman)

1337 years old female Fenarian Evoker

Level 26 1/3

*Immune to Sealing

*

Power

: 37

(26+11)

Defence

: 10

(5+3+2)

Health

: 33/33

(5+25+3)

Ether

: 41/41

(5+25+1+1+5+4)

Gold

: 14

Equipment

:

Composite Bow (WP:11, ignores SP; bow)

,

Fanged Helm (SP:5, headwear), Robe of the Archmagi (SP:3, Max. Ether +5, immune to Sealing, bodywear),

Ethereal Cloak (

SP:2, Max. Ether +4, suitable for mages, clerics and necromancers; backwear)

Inventory

:

Pheles Rod (WP:20; grants permanent Aura, doubling the user’s max. health but making all enemy attacks hit the user; staff)

,

Empyreal Staff (WP:15,

wind

-elemental staff),

S

taff of the Necromancer (WP:12; damages undead; +1 level to raised undead; staff),

Snake Staff (WP:12)

,

Shiny Dagger (WP:10),

Oriental Crossbow (WP:7; crossbow)

,

Bone Staff (WP:3)

,

Red Dragon Plume (Immunity to weakened and fire; suitable to barbarians, knights, skirmishers and winged warriors; accessory),

Winged Sandals (Protects from bound- and slowed-effects)

, Samurai Helmet (WP:4, suitable to knights, dragoons, regulators and winged warriors), Aquamarine,

Amethyst, Opal, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Sealing,

Scroll of Confusion,

Scroll of Disenchantment (Removes all positive effects from all opponents at the cost of 5 ether),

4 Potions, Grand Potion, 2 Remedies, 2 Meads, 3 Smelling Salts, 3 Nostrums, Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, Holy Bomb, Flash Bomb, Soul Cage (Causes ??? to all combatants upon consumption), Bedroll,

Jade Lamp of Summoning (summons

Mediq

),

Gold Statuette (worth 50 gold),

7 Star Coins

Spirits

:

Battle Angel (

Light

),

Xut the Daemon (

Darkness

),

Raiju the Raiju (

Lightning

), Ni the Shrubbery (

Wood

), Mark the Ice Cube Tray (

Ice

), Clay Golem (

Earth

), unknown (

Fire

), unknown (

Wind

), unknown (

Water

)

Tarn Valco

(Rumble Strike)

22 year old human male Berserker

Level 22

*Natural Respite*

Power

: 36

(22+13+1)

Defense

: 15

(8+6+1)

Health

: 41/41

(7+21+10+3)

Gold

: 8

Equipment

:

Lion’s Heart (WP: 13,

stun

-effect

; greatsword)

,

Robust Shield (SP:8)

, Darksteel Armor (SP:6, Max. Health +3; bodywear), Horned Hat (SP +1, Power +1, suitable for barbarians and beast warriors; headwear)

Inventory

:

Helbaerend (WP: 10;

water

-,

ice

- and

lightning

-elemental, Hollow Blade; axe)

,

Bagpipes (WP:8,

wind

-elemental instrument), Fauxthril Spear (WP: 6, spear), Wooden Spear (WP:3, spear),

Shield (SP: 5),

Heavy Armour (SP: 5, suitable for Barbarians and Knights, protects from fragile-effect; bodywear), Sand Worm Hide (SP: 2; bodywear), Scroll of Weakening, Smelling Salts, Shovel, Pickaxe, Bucket, Amulet of U'Kin Nobility (Grants Diplomacy to wearer when addressing a U'Kin), Star Coin

Tesni Hightribe

(

Peppermint_M)

22 years old female human Berserker

Level 29 2/3

*Natural Respite*

*Immune to Afraid*

Power

: 56

(29+20+3+4)

Defense

: 12

(6+2+4)

Health

: 48/48

(8+28+10+2)

Gold

: 805

Equipped

:

Fiery Sawblade (WP:20, 4x damage to enemies weak to fire, longsword)

,

Sir Roderick’s Shield (SP:6, Immunity to afraid), Bone Claws (WP:3, SP:2; handwear), Dragon Bone Armor (SP:4, Max. Health +2; bodywear)

Inventory

:

Cysgodion (WP:11,

darkness

-elemental; greatsword)

, Dryw ar Zoot (WP:14,

light

-elemental; longsword), Mellt (WP:10,

ice

- and

lightning

-elemental; hammer), Spiked Club (WP:8), Cryfder (WP:6), Party Maracas (WP:4, user is hastened, instrument), Sedge Hat (Max. Ether +4; suitable to mages, clerics, minstrels, necromancers and chi monks; headwear), Shackles of War (prevents all fleeing, accessory),

Magic Mirror (The user reflects all ether-based attacks back to the caster without getting damaged by them; accessory),

Ruby (

Fire

), Scroll of Sleep,

Remedy, Neutralizer, Phoenix Essence, 5 Venoms, Deadly Venom, 2 Meads, 2 Smelling Salts, Nostrum, Soma, Smoke Bomb, Holy Bomb,

Aeolus Bomb (100 wind-elemental damage to all enemies),

Minimizing Dust, Grating Stone (WP+1 to one weapon), Winged Box (quest item),

Cannon Parts (quest item), 10

Star Coins

Sir Christopher Daggerfall (Fred Fred Burger)

27 years old male human Paladin

Level 18 1/2

*Immune to Weakened*

Power:

32

(18+11+2+1)

Defense:

9

(5+4)

Health:

38/38

(10+17+11)

Ether:

20/20

(1+17+2)

Gold:

5

Equipment:

Sunspear (WP:11,

light

-elemental, weakened-effect; halberd), Mockthril Shield (SP:5), Pugilist's Gloves (Power +2, protects from weakened-effect), Paladin's Armor (SP:4, Max. Ether +2)

Inventory:

Angelic Trumpet (WP:5, user is blessed, instrument), 3 Potions, Grand Potion, Remedy, 2 Rums, Smoke Bomb, 2 Fire Bombs, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe

[Peppermint_M]

"Ah foxshite. No one thought to collar the warrior boy?" Tesni groaned and rolled back onto her feet.

[JimBee]

Hybros blinked a few times as he listened to the Ji Pei, staring up at the sky while on his back. Out of there, at last. Had they won? No, he remembered. The icy room with the giant yeti-like beast... and Jun! Hybros sat up and rubbed his head.

"Uhh.... Jun... Jun was with us the whole time. To the very end he fought with us. You did not recover his b-.... him?"

[Peppermint_M]

Tesni glared at the man, "You heard the imp, he fought with us and we were together until we fell."

[Rumble Strike]

"Jun is a true warrior, he will be OK."

[Quarryman]

"I find it most peculiar that you were able to get me out, but not Jun, we fell together when trying to escape from that icy hellhole on the fifth floor of the pagoda."

[Rumble Strike]

"There was a lot of falling. Comrades and enemies both with slips on the ice. I was beaten unconscious because I slipped on the ice twice trying to join you guys downstairs. It was truly a nightmare scenario. If Jun is still trapped in there, I do not envy him."

[Sandy]

Vincent Legonardo's head drops.

"I feared as much. Young Master Jun is a resilient warrior. He might have recovered on his own and continued the fight by himself. He is in the care of his forefathers now. I just don't know what I will say to his mother..."

It took them another week to get back to Eubric. It was no surprise that Shanxian Ji Pei was heartbroken upon hearing the news of her son.

"Jun, my only child... If only he hadn't chosen the path of his father and become a warrior, he would still be here with me."

Shanxian's lament soon turned to rage. It looked like Jun hadn't inherited all of his temperament from his father, after all.

"But by the names of every Aoi that has ever lived and ever will, I will rain revenge upon the bandits that took away my son! Vincent, prepare your automatons! I want the latest models with me when I fly to Hoshin to avenge my son! I will tear down the entire Pagoda of Nine Elements stone by stone if I have to until I've found every single one of those bandits. No one crosses the Ji Pei!"

The heroes see it best to leave the palace quietly to recover from their ordeal.

THE QUEST HAS FAILED!

...

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Hoshin region...

"Jun, get up!"

"Xiaolin! Master Kai Tsi! I thought you were both dead!"

[JimBee]

Hybros bowed his head solemnly. He had failed. How would the Ji Pei family look at him now? How would he ever get their help in finding his people? Without a word, he turned to leave and board the airship back to Eubric. For most of the trip he stood gazing out over the passing scenery below, not enjoying the thrill of flying like he did on the way to the Pagoda. It felt like months ago that they had first arrived, and the little imp was still exhausted from the long and hard-fought battle. Once they neared Eubric, he finally said, to his allies,

"Meet me in the Hall later. There we shall divide our loot evenly."

Loot? Is that all he could think about?

[Peppermint_M]

"I'll see you in the hall friends." Tesni turned to the Ji Pei matriarch. "I am sorry for the failure," she bowed neatly. "If a chance to return and defeat the bandits I will take it up." With that she left.

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn was troubled as the heroes left. His failure gnawed at him, his ineffectiveness in the constant battle, the final humiliation of not facing his foes in direct combat, and the most important fact; that they may have inadvertently left a proud and valiant warrior to his death.

[Sandy]

QM Note: I want to give all of you my sincere thanks for trying this out!

IMPORTANT!

I forgot about the quest items in your inventories:

~ The Gate Vajra is useless outside the pagoda, and thus worthless.

~ The Winged Box can be opened with a wind-elemental spell, revealing a Sapphire hidden inside.

~ The Cannon Parts can be merged with parts dropped by another, undiscovered Star of Destiny.

~ When consumed, the Soul Cage causes the new doomed-effect on all combatants (heroes and enemies alike), causing sudden death in 3 rounds unless the effect is remedied.

~ The Star Coins are useless now, but they are each worth 1 gold, which you can add to your stack.

As a bonus, here's a compilation of the Stars of Destiny that you managed to defeat (the rest will appear in the follow-up quest):