Rumble Strike

Yes I really enjoy the interplay between the Questers in #40. All have very distinct 'voices' and personalities. Tarn has quested with several of them and I would love him to play with the others too.

It makes perfect sense that she'd stay and be protected by her father and Victor in Dastan. I'm just teasing

Yeah, no Ella, no sale! hehe

OK, I misunderstood I know Tarn would like to make sure Wren can't go after Ella again.

Tarn has only encountered Wren in Dastan, so he should be off the potential list.

Happy birthday Bob, hope you had a good one.

That was an easy shot compared to my Pirates ones of Jack and Will in a boat. Then I needed my brother to keep an eye on the boat when it was being hit by waves, as I was using the camera. All my Lego scenery shots are on my Flickr stream, address in my profile, including more beach shots of the surfer and hs friends.

Yeah the angle is a bit straight on, but the surfboard isn't conducive to have him any other way. I didn't want to risk him only being attached by one stud with the waves coming in. Thanks for the kind words, I love your zombie shot too

Fabian was creeping Tarn out more than many of the enemies he had faced, save perhaps for Crozan. No, he thought, Fabian had her beat too. "I think I might be able to get more for this extremely useful artifact if I sold it to someone direct. I'll keep hold of it for now." With one last wistful stare at the Tricorne, Tarn retreated.

Tarn shook his head at the salesman. "That's too low, I need more than that as I will sell some weapons to try and buy the Tricorne from you. How about you take it for 50 gold?"

Managed to snap this one just before the sea knocked him over:

I know you'd never kill a PC off! Just mentioned it as that battle was a team wipe and Tarn was the last one to drop. Very intense.

Tarn would fight until his last breath. He almost had that in the Dastan quest, luckily Zeph didn't actually kill him.

I just love the Conquistador CMF and thought the face did look like a slightly older Tarn. So when I finally chose an Advanced Class for him it made sense to change it then, along with the outfit And yes, reading through the Brunt side quest again was fun. Atramor and Tarn tend to play off each other well.

Realising that he cannot wear both the Sand Worm Hide and the Heavy Armour, ("Stupid non-backwear artifact! It's a cloak or cape, surely!", mumbles Tarn). He goes back to Fabian and offers him the Sand Worm Hide (Bodywear, SP: 2). "Hello Fabian, I think you could easily sell this for 110 gold - it's not class specific, and SP: 2 is mighty handy to anyone. Very similar to the Tricorne, which is 120 gold. Therefore I'd take 55 gold for it. Please let me know if this is a deal or not."

Off to the marketplace it goes then!

Is it? I thought it was a cape!

When Tarn had left the Hall, he had wandered for days, surviving in the wild and utilising his natural Barbarian traits. He enjoyed the peace and solace that finally enveloped him, now that his guilt over Constance's death was not consuming him. He was still troubled about his next choice, that of his advanced class. He had slept on it over several nights, and had finally come to a decision, but needed to talk to Rystael, his mentor, about it. Tarn returned home, to the monastary where he had been raised, in the heart of the Titaan mountains. He found Rystael wandering a corridor, and called out to the old man. "Rystael! I have returned!" The white-cloaked Cleric of Valco turned at the voice, a smile creasing his wizened features even further. "It is good to see you, my boy. You have grown into a man since your year at Heroica, I see." Rystael tugged mischeviously at Tarn's full beard, which was only stubble when he had first left. "But I sense this is not an idle visit. There is much pain and sadness around you now, in the recent past." "This is true, Rystael. I was involved in the death of an innocent, which lay a heavy burden on me." Tarn told his mentor all about Dastan and his part in the tragic accusation and subsequent death of the Dastanian Dragon Knight Constance, and of the climatic battle which saw a large group of heroes victorious, saving an Empire. "But this is not why I have come," said Tarn, "I have come to terms with my actions, knowing that the good I do and will do is nobler to concentrate on. No, I wish to inform you that I will not be following your path, my master. I will not become part Cleric." Rystael looked shocked for a moment, but gestured for his protege to continue. "I have seen many things since volunteering for Heroica - strange, mystical, magical things. I know that you use Ether to focus your abilities, but it is not for me to channel such energies. I have learned what my strengths are, and they do not involve the Ethereal. Mine are more lowbrow and physical. I work best hitting things until they fall over." Tarn grinned. Rystael nodded. "My child, there was never an expectation for you to follow the paths of the Cleric. You are your own person, and you were bestowed our order's name Valco because of your strength and wisdom, not for any desire to see you wield Ether. Whatever choice you make, I am sure you will bring honour to me, this order, and Heroica. Now wait here, I have something for you that may help." Rystael left, and returned a few minutes later carrying some chainmail leggings. "These will be of use no matter which class you decide to become. I should never have let you leave before wearing chest armour but only having leather leggings. Wear these, my boy, and make your mark on Heroica again!" The two hugged, Tarn holding the man who raised him in a tight embrace before leaving the monastary once again. Once back in Eubric freeport, Tarn visited the Marketplace, buying up a Fauxthril Shield (50 gold) and some Heavy armour (230 gold), emptying his purse from 338 gold to 58 before standing before the Copper Fox. "I wish to train to become a Bezerker!" Tarn Valco (Rumble Strike) 22 year old human male Bezerker Level 17 *Immune to Fragile* Power: 30 (Level: 17 + WP: 13) Defense: 10 Heavy Armour (SP: 5, suitable for Barbarians and Knights, protects from fragile-effect), Shield (SP: 5) Health: 34/34 (Basic health: 7 + level bonus: 17 + Bezerker bonus: 10) Gold: 58 Equipment: Lion’s Heart (Sword, WP: 13, Suitable for Barbarians and Knights, Stuns target on successful hits), Shield (SP: 5), Heavy Armour (Artifact, Bodywear (SP: 5, suitable for Barbarians and Knights, protects from fragile-effect) Inventory: Helbaerend (Battle Axe, WP: 10, Water, Ice, Lightning, Hollow Blade - nothing stored), Fauxthril Spear (WP: 6), Scroll of Weakening, Shovel, Pickaxe, Amulet of U'Kin Nobility (Non-Artifact Accessory, Grants Diplomacy to wearer when addressing a U'Kin), Sand Worm Hide (Artifact, Bodywear (SP: 2))

I agree with the raising of the artifacts number based onlevel, it seems a fair mechanic. The longer you play, the more you get out of it. I think we'll see some real SP monsters though!

I know this is a really silly question, but if Tarn becomes a Bezerker, does he get given a shield or will he have to buy one?

Glad to hear it! My brainstorming sessions for ideas have finally produced a working/workable quest structure, so now I just need to try and build most of it. But before that will probably be my secret project that I still haven't got around to yet.

Random question time. Do you more avid Heroica players now associate certain Lego heads/torsos etc with Heroica characters? I never truly realised just how commonplace the head I used for Tarn is, and now I think, "oh, there's Tarn in a suit!" for 4207 Garage or "There's Tarn with a powerboat!"

As I have been away I have only drifted in and out of keeping up with Quests, and some I haven't had a chance to catch at all, including your latest one, Endgame. But I did want to thank Palathadric for his kind words about my Quests. Interestingly the feedback given at the time in both Quests was that the battles were too easy, but it is nice to see that this is compensated by being ones that 'fit' the scenarios as presented. I try not to make things too complicated as both Quests I have run have been for newer Questers, perhaps the fact that Endgame took a group of Advanced characters out skewed the perception of their survival skills. It is worrying me that I will have to adapt in the same way to Advanced Classes in the third Quest I do, because I'm sure there are characters out there that would like another crack at Haroka and Sorona.

Tarn awoke from his slumber and felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He clapped Guts on the arm, much to the irritation of the older man, and left the Hall. His guilt over the death of Constance had diminished, but he still had a decision to make regarding his advanced training. He would go off on a journey and see where it would take him - whether it would give any insight into the type of hero he could be.