Endgame

QM Note: I'll run the round when The_Customizer specifies Johon/Karie/Masson/Punii's actions, as well as the BO.

"...I wanted to change the world and spill no blood. I didn't realize the price myself and others would have to pay for it."

"...That much is true. Other factors would be different, but... That much is true. But there is a greater evil here than my former self. We must focus on destroying him."

QM Note: I did not even notice them last battle. In the interest of consistency and honoring your intentions: Fixed. Masson sputters out a frantic reply, getting into the heat of battle. "I - I was just told an hour ago that that abomination The Regret broke into my home and read my mind qithout realizing it! He stole the schematics to the Harvester, and made multiple, it seems... I tried using Exterlate to erase my memory of the damn thing, but I was immune to its effect from exposure. I don't know what else to say other that I'm sorry, and I will gladly risk my life to take that damn thing out of this world..."

QM Note: The Harvesters always were mechanical, but Seerus was always a demon type. I just put the Blue Tentacles level down from 60 to 55, as I had forgotten to do so previously. I hadn't realize the autosave feature hadn't saved it when I changed their level to 55, so the battle got posted with the unfixed level. And I believe Kintobor left the Party Leader to specify an action for Karie, so...

QM Note: Fixed the Blue Tentacle's levels. There were some auto content saving shenanigans while making the battle, and it would seem I forgot to rectify their level. Sorry about that, folks! Also, don't forget to specify actions for Karie, since Kintobor will be away until Sunday evening.

QM Note: Fixed. "Hah! It looks like it'd only take a weak breeze to topple you, Mortimer."

"Mortimer, I hope I can immortalize that face - a face of pure terror, caked with blood and tears - forever. Hold it throughout the fight, will you? I do appreciate it." "I told you, you dull witted oaf. I am Seerus. I am the head of the vast Oculoid legion - our numbers expand to over ten thousand. Even as we speak, my forces are being dispatched to the island, hunting down each and every humanoid on this island and sucking out their souls. I would do the same to you, Boomingham, but alas, I would love to have a "king" in my gallery... I do hope you don't mind." "Hmph. I suppose trying to ignite bloodlust in you was a bit futile. You're a methodical creature. But I do hope my constant pratter has reminded you of that gaping hole in your existence, you emotionless piece of scrap metal." "I have no soul - of my own, anyway. But I have sucked the souls of hundreds of people - their spirits will serve as my sustenance for centuries more!" "I'm an artist, you two. I pride myself on innovation and resoucefulness. And I do realize that I've been giving special treatment to poor little Mortimer so far, so I was considerate enough to bring you other folks a gift as well." Two of the inky demon's tentacles slither behind his back - and they suddenly lurch back outwards, an all-too-familiar weapon in his clutches... He was weilding not one Harvester - but two!? Masson takes a step back, struggling to assemble a sentence. "What?! You're making... Multiples...?" "Of course we are, you idiot. We wouldn't just pluck the schematics from your brain and only make one. Our lab boys are hard at work getting these things ready for mass production. Before long, any Oculoid of any notable rank will be carrying around a Harvester. Glorious, isn't it? I know some of you are familiar with the device." "That knowledge was... Nobody should ever weild those things!" "Oh, come now, Masson. I know your sense of motivation melted away when that redhead over there finally sparked some libido, but it is quite a well engineered device! Not bad at all, for a human." ". . ." "Well, heroes? Shall we begin?" Seerus lunges at the heroes with an impressive speed, his inky tentacle in two. The party draws their weapons, some having an easier time than others, and prepare to take on the Oculoid Mastermind at long last. Em still wavers due to his lost eye, making him Half-Blind. At the beginning of every round, he has a 1/2 1/6 (due to Boomingham's healing) chance of becoming blind for one round. QM Note: Don't forget that Baaffy was changed since the Ameoboss battle, too. (You can now choose your target, but only can be used once per battle.) Prepare for Battle! Seerus, Level 90 Demon HP: 2400/2400 SP: 7 Immune to Sealing, Fast Asleep, Hexed and Weakened! Specials: Canvas Curse: Seerus uses his magic to raises a stone slab from the ground, and uses the Canvas Curse to trap the hero who rolled Special Damage within it. The trapped hero cannot act until the canvas is destroyed. Mind Reader: Seerus reads the mind of the hero who rolled Special Damage, predicting their moves. For the next two rounds, any enemy they attack will counterstrike them. Succumbing Sonar: Seerus ensnares the mind of a random hero with his words, dealing 50 damage and Hexing them. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Acidic: On rolls of damage and free hits, Seerus reduces the SP of the damaged hero by 25%, rounded down. Drops: Oculoid Fireworks x3, 150 gold, Ectoplasm Crusher Tentacle (Left), Level 75 Demon HP: 450/450 SP: 4 Immune to Weakened! Specials: Smasher: The Crusher Tentacle picks up the hero who rolls Special Damage and smashes him into another random hero. Both are reduced to 1 HP. Pin Down: The Crusher Tentacle pins down the hero who rolls Special Damage. The hero is stuck in the tentacle's grasp, made Slow and Poisoned 10 until the claw is destroyed. If HP is above 200, Smasher is used. If not, Pin Down is used. Passive Specials: Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Mead Crusher Tentacle (Right), Level 75 Demon HP: 450/450 SP: 4 Immune to Weakened! Specials: Smasher: The Crusher Tentacle picks up the hero who rolls Special Damage and smashes him into another random hero. Both are reduced to 1 HP. Pin Down: The Crusher Tentacle pins down the hero who rolls Special Damage. The hero is stuck in the tentacle's grasp, made Slow and Poisoned 10 until the claw is destroyed. If HP is above 200, Smasher is used. If not, Pin Down is used. Passive Specials: Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Mead Blue Tentacle (Left), Level 55 Demon HP: 350/350 Immune to Blindness and Sealing! Specials: Pyro Paint: Seerus douses the battlefield in a coating of pyrotechnic paint, which explodes into a multicolored flame the next round. The first three heroes in the battle order next round take 30 damage, disregarding row and SP. Chemical Jab: The Blue Tentacle stabs the hero who rolled Special Damage, giving them the Poison 25 effect. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Acidic: On rolls of damage and free hits, Seerus reduces the SP of the damaged hero by 25%, rounded down. Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Deadly Venom Blue Tentacle (Right), Level 55 Demon HP: 350/350 Immune to Blindness and Sealing! Specials: Pyro Paint: Seerus douses the battlefield in a coating of pyrotechnic paint, which explodes into a multicolored flame the next round. The first three heroes in the battle order next round take 30 damage, disregarding row and SP. Chemical Jab: The Blue Tentacle stabs the hero who rolled Special Damage, giving them the Poison 25 effect. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Acidic: On rolls of damage and free hits, Seerus reduces the SP of the damaged hero by 25%, rounded down. Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Deadly Venom Red Tentacle (Left), Level 70 Demon HP: 350/350 Specials: Pyro Paint: Seerus douses the battlefield in a coating of pyrotechnic paint, which explodes into a multicolored flame the next round. The first three heroes in the battle order next round take 30 damage, disregarding row and SP. Tentacle Sweep: Seerus sweeps the entire battlefield with his tentacles, all heroes taking damage equal to their level. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Military Grade Fire Bomb Red Tentacle (Right), Level 70 Demon HP: 350/350 Specials: Pyro Paint: Seerus douses the battlefield in a coating of pyrotechnic paint, which explodes into a multicolored flame the next round. The first three heroes in the battle order next round take 30 damage, disregarding row and SP. Tentacle Sweep: Seerus sweeps the entire battlefield with his tentacles, all heroes taking damage equal to their level. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Dismemberment: Destroying this tentacle does 150 damage (disregarding Fragile) to Seerus. Drops: Military Grade Fire Bomb The Harvester (Left), Level 65 Mechanical HP: 400/400 SP: 4 Immune to Hexed and Weakened! Specials: Beaten Senseless: The Harvester bludgeons the herow ho rolled Special Damage, reducing them to 1 HP and making them Blind, Fragile, and Doomed. Potent Hexing: The Harvester steals the common sense of a random hero, Hexing them until the Harvester controlling them is destroyed. Specials alternate. Drops: Greating Stone The Harvester (Right), Level 65 Mechanical HP: 400/400 SP: 4 Immune to Hexed and Weakened! Specials: Beaten Senseless: The Harvester bludgeons the herow ho rolled Special Damage, reducing them to 1 HP and making them Blind, Fragile, and Doomed. Potent Hexing: The Harvester steals the common sense of a random hero, Hexing them until the Harvester controlling them is destroyed. Specials alternate. Drops: Greating Stone The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) Level 31.25 Paladin *Immune to Darkness-, Fire-elemental; Immune to Fragile, Sleep, Weakened, and Blindness* *Pierces SP From Front Row* *SP Ignored From Back Row* *Encouraged!* Power: 50 Power Bonus: 5 Defense: 10 Health: 54/54 Ether: 30/30 Gold: 808 Equipment: Scupperer (WP: 14; Darkness-, Fire-elemental; inflicts Bleeding (-5) and Poisoned (-10); great sword) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Tome of Affluence (+10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle; Immune to Fragile, Sleep, Weakened, and Blindness; Immune to Darkness-, Fire-elemental; accessory), Counterstrike Gloves, Mopag Helm (SP: 3; headwear), *Pseudo's Blessing (+4 Power; not an artifact)* Inventory: Frozen Saber (WP: 9; Light-, Ice-elemental; inflicts Stunned; great sword), Lullaby Wand (WP:6, Inflicts Sleeping Effect), Sabre (WP:6, Longsword), Darksteel Greatsword (WP: 10, Blinded Effect, Greatsword), Grand Potion, Grand Tonic, Remedy, Phoenix Essence • Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (Power +4; Ether -6; headwear) Cloak of Blood Magick (+5 ether, attacks made with darkness magic weaken the enemy, bodywear suitable for Mages, Necromancers, Chi Monks) Chains of the Pongcanis Chief (Hero Pierces SP if fighting from Front, Enemies ignore SP if hero fights from the back row, cannot be removed in battle)• Garnet, Sapphire, Amethyst • Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile; costs 5 Ether; 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, • Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immune to Ice), Fireball Whiskey (Immunity to Fire One Battle OR 20 Fire Damage All Enemies), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Hamantasch (Lucky, Blessed), 2x Mead, x2 Nostrum, Ambrosia, Smelling Salts, Hair of the Dog • Bedroll *Chicken Leg (+2, Quest 28), Drumstick (+1, Quest 70) **Pseudo's Blessing (+4, Quest 40), Big Apple (+1, Quest 70) Karie Alderflask-Cour 23? years old human female Level 25.66 Witch Defence: 2 Health: 41/41 (7+24+8+2) Ether: 30/31 (1+24+4+2) Gold: 680 Equipment: Oculoid Palm (WP: 11, successful hits lowers the target's level by 1; coils around the users arm when outside of battle, whip), Catsuit (Wearer becomes nimble and has a 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER, DAMAGE, and Free Hits, suitable to women only; body wear), Ethereal Cloak (SP: +2, Max. Ether: +4, back wear), Paper Doll (immunity to hexed, accessory) Inventory: *Weapons: Spring Staff (WP: 12, healing someone else through this staff also heals the user by the same amount; water elemental staff), Grumpy's Staff (WP: 10, fire elemental staff), Sexy (WP: 8, disregards SP, longsword), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Rusty Dagger (WP: 2, deals poisoned by 10 effect, breaks after 3 uses) *Minstrel Weapons: Angelic Trumpet (WP: 5, user is blessed, instrument), Vagrant's Guitar (WP: 5, user is lucky) *Artefacts: Glittering Dress (The user's job traits are replaced with those of a Harlot: Promiscuity, Flee, and Money Maker; suitable for women only, body wear), Medal of Valour (This pendant is awarded by the Bonapartes to those who show their heroism in the battle against piracy. The wearer gains double experience in battle. Accessory), Skull Mask (SP: 1, wearer can pose as undead, headwear), Trickster's Mask of the Elf (Changes user's appearance into an elf, accessory), Witch's Talisman (Makes the witch's poisonous attacks cause poisoned by 10-effect instead of poisoned by 1, suitable for witches; accessory) *Minstrel Artefacts: Encore Plectrum (If the same battle song is sung more than one round in a row, the song's ether cost for the consecutive rounds is halved; suitable for minstrels; accessory) *Gems: Ruby (Fire) *Scrolls: Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Newtity *Battle Songs: True Love's Serenade (restores 50 health to the rest of the party per round, cost 10 ether; Battle Song) *Consumables: Potion, Grand Potion x3, Tonic, Grand Tonic x5, Remedy x5, Phoenix Essence x5, Nostrum x3, Mulled Wine, 9 Venoms, Pumpkin Bomb (causes poisoned by 1, asleep, blinded, sealed, and confused to all opponents when used), Neutralizer x2, Tasty Pretzel (1/3 chance each of granting lucky, hastened, and encouraged-effects upon consumption), 5 Herbal Infusions (Removes negative effects and causes Blessed and Transcended effects), Grating Stone *Tools: Telescope, Bedroll, Magnifying Glass, Shovel, Pickaxe, Magic Compass *Sheep: Baaffy (Pet Sheep, whenever unleashed, puts random enemy fast asleep, unlimited use) Quest Items/Roleplay Item: Masson's Journal Entry 11, Map of Brendenton, Spider Coin (worth 1 gp), Forest Journal, Blue Syndicate Uniform, Kayla's Mask, Ulric's Letter Jeaux Elmfyre (joeshmoe554) Automaton male, Evoker Level 19 *Blessed* *Transcended* *Immune to Sealing, Bleeding, and Confused* Power Bonus: 0 Defense: 2 Health: 27/27 Ether: 20/20 Gold: 758 Equipment: Divine Cannonade (WP:13; gives blessed- and transcended-effects to user; Poison 7 and Cursed; Phoenix Essence; handcannon), Spellbound Gloves (Spellpower +5), Automaton Armor (SP:2, immune to bleeding and confused; suitable to automata only; bodywear) Inventory: Enchanted Bracelet (protects from sealing; accessory), Handy Suitcase (SP-2, use 2 items per round; accessory), Professor's Kit (successful attacks on Mechanical enemies have a 1/3 of turning them to the hero’s side for the next three rounds as a tamed monsters, accessory), Crescent Shield (SP: 5, halved damage from elemental attacks, shield), Topaz, Diamond, Amethyst, Soma, Tonic, Grand Tonic x2, Grand Potion, Phoenix Essence x2, Remedy x2, Venom x2, Volatile Venom x4, Jinxy Juice, Smoke Bomb, Water Bomb, Bedroll, Bone x6, Experienced Turdwing (Deals the confused and poisoned by 1 effects on an opponent when used, fly familiar), Ruby, Sapphire Summons: Nilrem (Paladin Armor, Lightning Armor, Demon Armor) Mortimer "Em" Mahzan (Em) *Reinforced!* *Half-Blind!* Unknown age human male Warden Level 18 Power Bonus: 5 Defense: 25 (50) Health: 36/37 Gold: 86 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Iron Knuckle Armour (Body, foot, and hand wear. Counts as one artefact. Usable by knights and dragoons. SP: 10. Cannot be removed by enemies), Vigilant (SP 12, halved damage from elemental attacks, immune to electricity, shield), Anniversary Medal (Artefact/Accessory) (Power +3, SP +3, Max. Health +3, Max. Ether +3. The values will increase by 1 with each passing year) Inventory: Consumables: Smoke bomb, Nostrum, Potion x3, Remedy x2, Venom, Grand Potion x5, Mead x2, Ambrosia, Smelling Salts, Silver Ore Weapons: Doppleganger (WP: 10, Retribution: The user inflicts any negative effects he or she has on the target enemy on successful hits; longsword), Old Whip (WP: 10/20 against Beasts) Tools: Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe Equipment: Crescent Shield (SP: 5, halved damage from elemental attacks, shield), Frost Helm (SP: 3, immune to ice, suitable for anyone), Eyepatch Buffs: Permanent + 3 HP, +2 Power, and +1 Ether from Crystal Sovereign. Erdathcath Madilinas, 199 years old, Level 23 Druid *Party Leader!* *Hastened!* Power: 38 Health: 37/37 Ether: 26/26 Gold: 195 Equipped: Tritech Handcannon (WP:16, Fire-elemental, permanent poisoned 7, cursed), Satchel of Awesomeness (Permanent Lucky-effect; bodywear, suitable for anyone), Amulet of Optimism (Adds the confused-effect to all attacks; accessory, suitable to Erdathcath only), Machine's Heart (The hollowed out heart of Monolith, after being defeated, halves all damage from Earth, Electrical, and Mechanical type enemies; bodywear, suitable for anyone) Inventory: *Qlice (WP: 8, club, permanent Poison 4), Longbow (WP:7), Quick bow (WP: 6, bow, provides hastened effect for one round each battle) *Mage's muffler (protects from sealing; accessory, suitable for anyone), Helmet (+1 max. health; headwear, suitable for anyone), Snake Eye Charm (protects from petrified; accessory, suitable for anyone), Helmet (+1 max. health), *Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, *Scroll of Weakening *6 Potions, Grand Potion x2, 6 Mead, 4 Smelling Salts, 15 Venoms, 2 Deadly Venoms, 2 Floral Bombs, 2 Ice Bombs, 2 Lightning Bombs, 1 Fire Bomb, 3 Smoke Bombs, 2 Water Bombs, 2 Holy Bomb, 2 Dirt Bombs, 2 Air Bombs, Bone, Skeleton Decoy, Saber teeth, Jinxy Juice x2, Grand Tonic x3, Love Potion, Blind Fury, Grating Stone, Mythril Shard x2, Silver Ore, 3 Elixirs, 2 Phoenix Essences, Emergency Essence x2, Agni Bomb, Sushi (restores 5 HP and 5 Ether), Neutralizer, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Equilibrium Tonic, Remedy Johon [AKA Alf Gregory] (Bricksandparts) 25 years old male human Barbarian > Raider *Lucky!* *Hastened!* Level: 30.5 Power Bonus: +0 (0art+0perm) Health: 44/44 (lvl30+cls7+7perm+0art) Defense: 5 (5art+0Shield+0perm) Ether: 0/0/30 (lvl30 Kept Effects: *Natural Respite* *Restoration**Immune to: Fragile* *1.5 stealing multiplier* *Hide of The Bleeding* Temporary Effects: Gold: 2718 Equipment: Weapon: Muckraker (WP:+13, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Beast Warriors/Necromancers/Regulators, *Water, Wood, Earth*, Causes *Weakened*) Shield: Artefact 1 (1+): Heavy Armour (suit: Bararians/Knights, SP:+5, *Immune to Fragile*) Artefact 2 (10+): Hide of The Bleeding (suit: Anyone, +10HP +5ETH for every enemy user defeats) Artefact 3 (20+): Sticky Gloves (suit: Rogues/Beast Warriors, 1.5 multiplier for stealing) Artefact 4 (30+):Barbarian's Boots (suit: Barbarians/Chi Monks/Beast Warriors, *Restoration*) Artefact 5 (40+): Artefact 6 (50+): 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*), Dog Statuette (Rover) (suit: Anyone, SP:+1), 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*) Weapons: 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) Consumables: Potions (25), Grand Potions (18), Tonics (0), Grand Tonics (1), Health Cores (1), Phoenix Essences (2), Remedies (9), Mead (14), Smelling Salts (17), Nostrums 15), Venoms (10), Deadly Venoms (7), Smoke Bombs (1) , Fire Bombs (1), Water Bombs (5), Lightning Bombs (14), Bones (13), Skeleton Decoys (1), Ambrosia (2), Mulled Wine (1), (1)Trial Brews (1), Ectoplasms (1), Level-Up Mushrooms (1) Elements: Aquamarine (2), Emerald (1), Garnet (1), Opal (1), Ruby (1), Sapphire (1), Topaz (1), Diamond (2), Amethyst (2) Scrolls: Scroll of Sleep (1), Scroll of Blindness (1), Scroll of Sealing (1), Scroll of Confusion (1), Scroll of Frailty (1), Scroll of Weakening (1) Tools: Shovels (1), Pick-axes (2), Magic Compasses (1), Water Canteens (2), Magniscopes (1) Quest/RP/Misc. items: Blue Rose (Invasion of Luosh) (1), Fifty Shades of Bley (1), Mythril Shards (1) "No..." Masson Cour, 26 years old, Level 50.2 Paragon HP: 70/70 SP: 5 Power Bonus: 5 Gold: 50 Equipment: Zandatsu (WP: 12, Longsword, suitable to Masson only, each succesful hit lowers target's Level/SP by 1) Syndicate Cowl Deluxe (SP: 5, Headwear, suitable to Masson only), Syndicate Uniform (+5 power, Bodywear), Quickdraw Sheathe (1/6 chance of starting every battle Hastened, Backwear), Wedding Ring (Immune to Enamored, Suitable to Masson only, cannot be dequipped, Accesory) Inventory: Spare Dagger (WP: 8), Remedy x3, Grand Potion x3 "It's about *wheeze* time..." Punii, Level 20.33 Alchemist HP: 36/36 SP: 3 Equipment: Yellow Carapace (SP: 3, Backwear, cannot be dequipped, suitable to Punii only... Unless you want to skin him alive?), Tiny Tail (WP: 7, cannot be dequipped, suitable to Punii only... Unless you want to amputate it?) Inventory: Health Core, Ether Core, Grand Tonic x2, Nostrum, Military Grade Light Bomb , Bad Breath

Yeah, the RTE is a menace. Try flipping the light switch to switch it to a normal editor, and post it like that.

Which one? The one in Quest #100? If that is the one you're referring to: Yes, it was possible. Filled to the brim with insta death while you were only a party of 2, but yes, it was doable. The HP was low enough that you could conceivably win. Unfortunately, though, you lost because of a 1/36 chance. Had you not rolled Special Damage, or flipped the battle order, you would've one. Probably would've been done dofr in the next battles, but you would've won nonetheless. Although one could theoretically make the argument that since the entire enemy party perished, Throlar shouldn't have failed, but what is done is done.

"Oh, I'll have you begging in a brief moment. And don't worry, Em - your friends will also have places in my gallery. You'll be the centerpiece, though, so you don't need to worry about them" "You forget the bloodlust of your party, Jeaux. I don't blame you. You're a machine. You can't possibly understand emotion, can you, hmm?" The paintings do not react to either of the glasses in the slightest, although Johon does get a some response for Seerus's thoughts. Soul Glass Results Seerus Emotion: Jolly Current Thoughts: "I certainly hope this bout is worth the wait... I hope my little surprise doesn't put too much of a swift end to this." ----------- "Their bodies are left paralyzed and comatose, their conscious mind is rendered inactive... Leaving only their subconscious mind, their instincts, aware of their situation. And screaming in agony, I hope. There's tons of your kind swarming to my island, Miss Druid! The lab boys can't brainwash all of them! Best to just leave ugly little wastes of time like the ones who snuck in through here splattered on the wall." Seerus turns to Em. If the Warden didn't know any better, he'd think that the demon was grinning wickedly. His tentacles slither up to his height, surrounding him in inky darkness. He can feel a static coming off of them, an instinctual sense of fear washing over the Warden's entire being. "You know, Em, I have a few issues here. The first is... Physically, you're so drab. Nothing unique about you in the slightest. I would love to induct you into my gallery, but you'd simply have to meet my quality standards. And the second is this... I don't think your party understands what I'm capable of. They're in fear, yes, and they're cautious. But I think we can both agree, Em, that it'd be in their best interest to flee and preserve their miserables lives. They just don't get it - the eternal struggle of an artist, am I right? So why don't I demonstrate on the one who knows best. Two tentacles coil around Em's body in an instant, suffocating him. Before he knows it, he is lurhce dinto the palm of another tentacle, the appendage bristling with magical energy... Just as Em's face was about to collide with Seerus's inky palm, the wretched demon unleashes an almost fatal blast of darkness. Em's head snaps backwards as the tentacles let go of him, his body thrown a short distance before he crashes hardly onto the cold stone floor. Seerus hovers over to the mangled form of the Warden, and flips him over, laughing in delight at what he saw. "Ahhh, yes! Splended! Simply splendid - that couldn't have come out much better." The party runs over to Em's body in a panic, Seerus distancing himself. They saw the exact sight that Seerus saw, but couldn't be more revolted. The Oculoid Mastermind shot out one of Em's eyes. Blood trickles from the charred socket. "No..." "No, Em, I should've...!" Masson lets the sentence trail off, unsure what he could've or should've done to prevent this. Meanwhile, Seerus couldn't seem happier with his work. "Kyahehehehe! You'll fit into the gallery perfectly now, Mad Mortimer Mahzan. Surely you didn't think I'd call you "Em" forever, would you? It's only right to call art by its correct name. And you other heroes. Do you truly wish to fight now? Or will you accept your fate - an eternity in a canvas?"

Seerus hovers over to the tense Em, the Warden feeling like he was being wrapped up in the being's immense darkness. "You know, Em, I was thinking... Painting the walls with your blood would pale in comparison to what I can do. Do you see those ink drawings on the wall, Em? Just a few minutes ago, those drawings were living, breathing people. They used to be human. But look at them now, Em. Just drawings, sketches on the wall. I call it the Canvas Curse. Impressive ability, isn't it? To turn beings into paintings? I have a gallery, Em. Full of dozens of the finest victims to ever step into my execution chamber. The strongest of generals, the fairest of maidens, the most regal of royalty... All of them begged for me not to do it. And yet, now they spend an eternity. Stuck inside a canvas, hanging in the walls of my gallery. Forever. And I have a spot reserved just for you, Em."

"Well, theoretically, I could. There's enough forces inside the Citadel itself to kill you all several times over. But I'm sure at least some of you crave tearing into my flesh, am I right? Do you have such a desire, Jeaux? I must confess, back in the Progg colony, you did not seem like you had such a primal urge to kill. After all, a flimsy puppet like you can't process such emotions, can he?"

QM Note: Lost an LDD files and had to redo it! But wihout further ado..." The Spirit Glass does nothing,as they were already communicating. However, the Soul Glass... Soul Glass Results: Daranza The First Emotion: Uneasiness Current Thought: "...Can they really succeed?" Daranza the Fifty Third Emotion: Worried Current Thought: "I can't believe it came to this..." ------------------------------- "Goodbye, heroes." "You know what you must do." With that, the party exits the relatively warm cathedral, stepping back into the oppressive cold. They move to the West, towards the towering Citadel, and before long find the entrance to the Tunnel they were told to go into... Right in the side of the Citadel itself. It looked like it was once an obscure place, but the boulders covering it had been blasted away, human footprints tracking snow into it. "Did someone already *wheeze* make it in here?" "Hm. I get the feeling not all of the hunters were will be as agreeable as Knox was." The party enters into the winding tunnel, careful to avoid tripping on the oddly shaped rocks. the walls were hollowed out and stripped, any and all minerals taken out from the mine. The tunnel slowly but surely dips down, deeper and deeper, the stench of decay in the air, eventually, they come to a large clearing with odd black markings on the floor. A sinister but mealncholy aura fills the entire space... The party's attention is drawn towards the wall. Five drawings of humans are on the cavern wall, the ink and paint still a bit fresh... Behind them, a party can hear a dripping coming from the ceiling. Soon, a torrent of black plasm pours from the ceiling, rising off from the ground. It sprouts six gnarled tentacles, a single malicious eye shining out of the black mass. "Well, well, well... What do we have here? Admiring my art, I see? For those who are unaware of who I am: I am Oculoid Mastermind Seerus, right hand man to The Regret. I must confess, you nearly slipped past me. I just finished off those intruders you see on the wall when you folks skulked in. Nearly snuck up on me, you did. Luckily, I see that you've found yourselves intrigued with my newest creations portraits. The Canvas Curse, I call it. So, what brings you to my Master's abode? I think I can guess."

They were all over the place in 93.

For scenes that heroes aren't/couldn't/shouldn't be around to see, though? I prefer cutscenes to just a retelling, but that's just a personal preference.

Ah, okay - good to see we're on the same page, then. And even then, to be honest, if they're well contructed, I don't mind those either. I like seeing characters develop. I follow a fair number of PCs, so I like any sort of output.

I thought the both of you have been roleplaying incredibly well, so no complaints from me. For the record, I only consider something a cutscene where other players cannot interact or react to it afterwards.

Yeah, he's more or less back up the Sand Queen hired. He will be getting pretty big plot relevance after the second battle, but you're right when you say that Masson doesn't have nearly as good of a reason as Punii to be there. They've had their quite moments! (Moving Masson's stuff and the thing directly after 79 come to mind.) But then he had to get over his issues with adultery, get married, and now he knows the Harvester is currently in the hands of an omnicidal maniac. Not to mention Masson is royally FITH. (I'll give you a hint, the last three letters stand for "in the head." )

"He'd explode, not a sizable explosion, mind you, his soul would be sucked into the Lifespark, and his consciousness would be condemned to eternal isolation within it." "I'm still baffled, though... He hasn't tried to directly devour it yet, which must mean he has some sort of plan in motion. And it's bothering me, because I cannot for the life - or rather, death - of me figure out what he could possibly be planning."

"Me and *wheeze* Johon thought we killed him, along with 6 others, but apparently he was back his feet stronger than ever within a day..." QM Note: I'll move this to the Mining Tunnel in about an hour.

I was thinking the same thing: Karie consoled Masson over a plot point in the tundra, and that's the only instance I can think of. She's been interacting with Boomingham/Em/Jeaux quite a bit, as well as other NPCs, as far as I can tell. Masson has been trying to pacify her bitterness towards Boomingham, but Karie has been doing it anyway.

"Karie... This isn't to say I disagree with you, but... Now isn't the time, my love..." "Fair point, but you must remain vigilant nonetheless." "Your bravado is impressive, Druid, and your confidence in times like these is welcome. Just be sure to balance it out wirth an equal amount of cautiousness, or you will end up as foolhardy." "We already informed you... To the West of the main Village square, there is a mining tunnel that Progg slaves used to toil in. Go there, and we have a supsicion that The Regret's land troops may use it as a side entrance." Is the party ready to proceed to the Mining Tunnel?

"I was going to point that out, ma cherie, but I like to avoid confrontation..." "At this rate... We've already lost. The Regret was consumed by hate. He became almost all powerful because of it. Will you allow the same to happen to all of you? You will not grow stronger. It will only kill you, add eight more bodies to the deathtoll." "...That's the *wheeze* difference between you and the evil Proggs, I think, Daranza. You... Never really hated anyone, have you?" "...You could say that, yes." Punii turns to the party and whispers. "Should I *wheeze* think these two guys are evil? I've never caught myself *cough* wondering if someone ws really good or bad... For the time I've been around, it's always been... Clean cut. These guys aren't."

"Yet you have no problem with domesticating horses or slaughtering cows, then? What I did wasn't neccasarily good or ind hearted. I didn't intend for them to be so... Intelligent. What I did was partially wrong, yes. But to hold me accountable after three thousand years? Outrageous." "He controls more than the Proggs, I fear. Far, far more... But you are quite right nonetheless." "No. Not a god. He considers the gods weak... Spineless. Hiding behind smoke and mirrors. When and if he consumes the Lifespark, he doesn't plan to hide in the shadows and let fate dictate things, I imagine. He will take a more... Hands on approach. And I refuse to believe he simply has no plan up to this point." "He's insane." "He outmanuevered you eight centuries ago, didn't he? Rather spectacularly if I recall." "I wasn't being sarcastic, Boomingham. I was lamenting.I regret what I've done. Perhaps you will never forgive me. But we at least need to stay away from eachother's throats, lest the greater evil here comes out on top." "To be honest, Boomingham, my succesor here is the one who got overthrown by the Proggs and died at their hands. I died of old age, two thousand two hundred years before he was even born." "Oh yes, you lived a long life while I got nailed to the outside of the very Cathedral we're currently in. If you check the back, the spear they used to denote my demise is probably still there. As is the blood splatter. HMPH. But we believe there may be another way into the Citadel... The entrance to one of the mines we put The regre tto work in, while he was still a slave, is nearby. It's to the West of the main village square, where our statues are. If you can find that entrance, it might very well lead into the Citadel itself." "The Regret devouring the Lifespark may be an impossibility, Boomingham, but The regret himself is an impossibility. You see, he once got trapped down in the very mine we believe will lead you into the Citadel... Starved and isolated, he used some magic he stole from us to mutilate his soul, either ending the pain or allowing himself to survive. The magic he stole from us should've killed him. But he defied natural law. Through what seemed to be sheer willpower alone, The regret managed to cling onto his body, and live on. The Regret is an impossibility, Boomingham. He is an abomination, a defiance of what the Gods intended life to be. And that is why I think he may find a way to devour the Lifespark." Did the party have anything else to ask?