Endgame

More stuff! Things Missed: -The Stealer boss battle, obviously. However, this contained 2 other missable things then I already described: -Punii would've been on the roof on one of the shots of Storefront Avenue during the boss fight - you skipped his cameo! -If you had beat Masson and either killed/jailed him, Briar would've staggered up and (begrudgingly) offer you Wolfgang reputation. Of course, you ended up siding with Masson, so this never occured and the oppurtunity was lost. Player Analysis Zepher already made an absolutely bloody massive one, but here is mine! Boomingham (Zepher): Boomingham was amazing in this quest. Usually so outspoken and willing to share his opinions, this quest really seemed to have an effect on him. His philosophy is that there is nowhere to go up... But in this quest, it seems like he went down quite a few steps. Seeing him practically silent at the end, and his transition to thate state, was chilling and a pleasure to read. You were the right choice for party leader, in my mind, and also showed me the importance of silence as well as the importance of speaking up. Each can have a profound effect when used correctly, and you utilized both in this quest to great effect. His hypocrisy became more and more apparent as the quest continued, and by the end he truly felt like a villain. Giving Karie the Pixie Dust was probably your best choice as a party leader, as cruel as it may be. Now, only thing left is to get on one of your quests. Arthur (Flipz): Arthur seems to be filled with turmoil - not knowing who fights for or why he does it. And that becomes apparent as his allegiance shifts throughout the quest from accusing the Stealer of rape, murder, enslavement to siding with him. Masson and Arthur really are similar, and led to an interesting dynamic of changing opinions. Inconsistency is usually not good, but here it was utilized in an excellent fashion, so As always, you were the chief strategist, and remain the best one in Heroica to date. My only advice is to make Arthur a bit light; Everything he says carries such weight, it is hard to respond to him at times. Other then that, after an almost 18 page long PM chain, it was great hosting for you. Arnulf (Shoker86): Always nice to have a returning questee, and you are no exception. At the beginning, due to Arnulf's knowledge on the Stealer, it led to quite a fw nice scenes while you were in the Sceleris Alleys. You were Boomingham's only friend in this quest, really, but that isn't a bad thing. It only helped highlight the split between the two "factions" of the party, per se, and that is a very good thing indeed. I hope to host you again some day. Em (Emjajoas): Another retruning questee from 56! Great to have you back on board for the conclusion to The Stealer arc. Like I've mentioned previously: Silence works. And Em uses it wonderfully. He may be soft spoken, but he strikes me as such a considerate and withdrawn person. The respect you displayed for Masson as the quest went on was interesting to see grow, as well. You only say something when you have something to say - You say Em has no direction, but I think he is going in a great one already. Karie (Kintobor): Gee, I wonder why I saved you for last? As you can tell from the 1.5 levels of EXP I granted you throughout the quest, your roleplaying is phenomenal. Karie is such a realistic character. She started out innocene tenough, but the direction shes been heading in - through hell, back, and back into hell again - has really shown all aspects of her character. She's one of the most realistic characters in the heroica realm, and it is always great to see how she'll react to something. She's pretty humble as well: You've allowe dher to get abused so many times (It being my doing most of the time ) and we've really seen so many idfferent sides of her. 70 was a bit Karie-centirc, but it was because of how well the quest suited her. Slowly baiting you into "betrayal" of your party was one of my favorite acts as a QM. 70 may have been an emotion roller coaster for Karie, but she seems to finally be one step closer to peace. Now, just to see how this relationship will blossom... The Stealer of Senses "So it has to be this way... Engarde!" The Stealer of Senses, Level 48 Humanoid HP: 1600/1600 SP: 8 Immune to Exterlate! Specials: Arc Slash: The Stealer ravages the party, dealing damage to every hero equal to their Power. The Hero who rolled Special Damage has their sense of Taste stolen, removing all of their positive effects. Mass Harvest: The Stealer expertly utilizes the Harvester. All heroes have a 1/2 chance of having their sense of Hearing stolen, making them Confused for 3 rounds. Battle Analysis: The Stealer concentrates, calculating all other possible moves the heroes could make. He becomes Hastened and begins to Counterstrike for the next 2 rounds. Passive Specials: Adaption: All negative effects last only 2 rounds on The Stealer. When a negative effect wears off on The Stealer, he becomes immune to it. Going Numb: All rolls of Damage has The Stealer harvest that hero's sense of Touch, Weakening them for the next 3 rounds. Mimicry: The Stealr pays close attnetion to the weapons used against him and copies the technique. On rolls of Damage, The Stealer also attacks the hero with any special effects their weapon might possess. Endgame Syndrome: ??? Drops: Nothing

We're assassins, we hit all enemies anyway.

Their shield special is called "Arrogant Prick." Case closed.

I'll address what I said before I launch into my own analysis: -Yes, I'm not a huge fine of LDD either, but you work with what you got, unfortunately :shrug_oh_well. And in terms of physical LEGO, I have mostly blue, lime green, and white. Not exactly the perfect pieces to build a quest out of. LDD allows me to perform acts of improv as well, so that is one plus to it. -Loot was one of the my strong points on the quest, I felt. -Yes, my puzzles could do with a little bit of toughening up. Besides the last one and perhaps the second, I felt they were too easy. Flipz had already seen the first, and knew the answer as soon as he saw it. -Yes, I did go overkill with all the Lust specials, and that is something I'd like to remedy in the future. Definitely some food for thought to me. -If you wanted to go toe to toe with Masson, attack him! I let a PC fall in love with my "antagonist" and join him, Boomingham acting out of turn with the rest of the party and lunging for The Stealer would be perfectly fine! My quests simply outline a list of places to go and what is in those places: what you do in those places, besides the soltuions I have thought up (Even then, I'll allow you to stray from that sometimes) is entirely under your control. -Nevron isn't exactly the cleanest Town Watch member; after all, he is an interloper to the Wolfgang, and associates them. He is essentially a traitor to the Wolfgang; Vigilantism isn't that big of a problem in his mind, given his profession. He still beared personal gurdges, but had seen The Syndicate's prowess in battle, saw how well they cooperated in bringing down Briar, and saw how Masson removed Briar's memories. There is sitll some bad history between nevron and The Syndicate, but ultimately it was forgiven. Battle Analysis: Battle 1: The introduction to the first Syndicate goons, albeit currently unnamed and cryptic ones. The Syndicate Peon's ability to tame and get a Wolfgang alligator was a bit of foreshadowing on what was to come. Battle 2: This served as a bottleneck into Act II. It signified your fairly mundane goal of destorying the Armory was over, and that a whole new task was in front of you... a far more complicated and dangerous one. Overall I liked the mechanic of the different buffing stands, but unfortunately Arthur pinned them down incredibly fast. Battle 3: One of my favorites. I went from an 8 enemy battle to a 4 enemy one - and this one was a lot more difficult! It lalowed me to introduce Octavyn, also my favorite NPC in the Syndicate (besides Masson, of course.) I felt this was probably my mosy cohesive group of baddies. They all functioned and cooperated, albeit by indirect means, and put up a good fight against you heroes. Also: For you curious about Karie's kidnapping: it was staged. Karie agreed to it and Octavyn simply gagged her and escorted her out before the smoke cleared. Battle 4: Beep. Beep. Warning. Warning. Anachronism. Stew. Yes, a battle against robots, of all things! I hope this one wasn't too far out of left field, given Masson's skill set.This battle was challenging, but interestingly enough it could've been a whole lot worse: Em got Karie to stand down, and Karie got the Cleric to try to shut down Magnus. We know how that ended. The Chromoids were an interesting mechanic, and one I'd like to explore a bit more in the future, but hopefully I'll make it so they just aren't cash cows to Overkill Glove users. Boss Battle: The Stealer of Senses: Here is what would've went down if you failed to convince him: -Battle begins! Masson leads the group, while a Octavyn with a similar level but nerfed HP serves as his second and command. Two Syndicate Elites (They were actually going to be called the "Syndicate Phalanx" troops in battle: they were Masson's bodyguards) would back them up. The first phase of this battle was going to be an amalgation of all previous battles: Battle 1: The Black/Silver pair of goons would've been similar to the ones found in Battle 1. Battle 2: There would be various stands buffing and backing up the Syndicate, like in the Armory battle. Battle 3: Octavyn strikes back, as well as te "four-person" formation. Battle 4: The Stealer of Senses would spawn a Lesser Chromoid every 3 rounds or so. They would be clunky, oil-based things without the ability to regenerate, starting at eith yellow or green. However, to prevent Arthur from going on an Overkill spree, they'd be immune to Fragile and possibly Electricity. So a list of enemeis would be: -The Stealer -Octavyn -Syndicate Phalanx Silver -Syndicate Phalanax Black -Potion/remedy Rack -Shield Rack -Weapon Rack -Bomb Rack -The occasional Lesser Chromoid When the collective HP of all of the members was down to about half, OR The Stealer of Senses fell before that happened, Phase 2 would begin - by accident, actually. A bomb rack would be toppled over from the battle and all of the bombs would explode collectively, uncontrolled. This wouldn't be too bad... If there wasn't a slew of Oil-based robots laying all over the room. For their own safety (he doesn't want anyone to die) The Stealer would order everybody to run to the edges of the room and turn their backs towards the bomb, while he ran towards Octavyn to get him out of range. Boss Battle (Phase 2): Masson Of course, the bomb would go off before The Stealer could manage, and all hell would break loose. The explosion sets the room on fire and decimates the wall, forcing the heroes outward - out of the base and onto Storefront Avenue. Though t seems like The Stealer was dead, he actually manages to drag himself out of the flaming rubble, Octavyn slung around his shoulder. The explosion damaged The Harvester, causing it to spark - The Stealer would use that to his advantage, rebooting Octavyn's heart with it. As everyone involved in the blast tries to recover, Briar would appear on the scene, heading to that alley we saw him in. He was out to kill The Stealer despite the hostage note, and knew that The Stealer's goal was to assit the poor: thus, he holds a beggar and arrow-point, threatening to shoot the poor civilian if The Stealer didn't stand down. The Stealer takes a third option, rushing and absorbing the arrow himself - taking the pain, he uses the Harvester on Briar and his goons, getting him to fight with The Syndicate for the final phase. A small riot would break out Storefront ve, the occasional rioter joining the fray. The battle would consist of: -Masson (his uniform was stained black by the ash, and his hood burnt away altogether - he'd be pretty badly wounded, part of his face covered in burn marks. His cape would be ragged ad he'd generally just be exhausted. Fighting on pure will-power, this version of the Stealer (going by his first name now that the cowl is off) is actually stronger.) -The Harvester -Octavyn -Briar -Syndicate Elite (former wolfgang goon) -Syndicate Elite (former wolfgang goon) -The occasional rioter The Stealer of Sense's stats are on a different computer, so hopefully I'll get his description up by the end of today. Battle 5: 3 versus 10, against Briar! This battle was purposely a curbstomp: it was meant to show how strong Masson really was, but mainly to affirm the possibilty of The Syndicate working with the Watch. Masson: Masson was a bit different from my normal cast of villains. Like I have said, all of my big-bads are simply broken-hearted people forced to evil; Masson was no exception. However, almost every other enemy I've made lashed outward from their issues, and hurt tons of people in the process: Masson lashed inward, and it led to some serious issues. he became obsessive over his studies, developed irrational phobias, hardly ate or sleep. Ultimately his sanity just decayed, and a legitmately good person was driven to trying to achieve a fair goal with awful means. He was immaculate, yes - but it was just his last-dtich attempt at trying to deal witha ll of the guilt and sadness he internalized. He became aloof and detached, trying to bury his own emotions and self to complete his goal; Karie was the only one who could bring Masson back down to Earth, and thus was the only one to convince him to give up The Harvester. Note how not all of his flaws are fixed: the Harvester is destroyed, but he is still essentially a vigilate. He isn't above using Exterlate, either. And although he is much happier now that he has Karie, his pyschological problems are simply less apparent, not gone. This quest worked wonders for Masson and pretty much saved him; however, he still has a long road of recovery to walk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whew! That's a lot... I'll have the player analysis up soon, folks, and the sidequests up hopefully soon. I still have a lot of things to say, but I will say this: This was an excellent party.

"Well, that was ludicrously easy." My eyes look down at Clare, trying to determine whether she was alive or dead. "Anyone have any preferences before I split the loot?"

They'd probably just punch eachother until one drops dead.

What happens when a counterstriking enemy counterstrikes a counterstriking hero?

"Thanks, ma chérie. It means a lot to me."

"Eubric is a small enough city, I'm sure we'll be there in no time. It's amazing how much life is crammed into this place, huh? Some good, some bad... but now that the Harvester is gone, maybe the Syndicate can finally work towards changing this city for the better. I'll probably end up getting a room in the Albatross. After all, all of my possessions literally fit into that one treasure chest. I'll most likely donate whatever supplies we have in surplus, too.I'll give the building back to the city when i get my affairs organized... Only problem is all of my lab equipment." He smiles again. "Fortunately, half of it I don't need anymore." QM Note: The rest of the quest is basically just talking to any NPCs present, if you wish. head back to the hall any time you desire.

Lilith listens intently to Karie's words, processing them as the rogue finishes her spiel. "Hmm... I was alerted to the presence of a weapon of sort, The Harvester. Considering it seemed to be what made the Syndicate operation possible, what is its current status?" Masson reaches into his robes, pulling out the still hissing fragments of the Harvester. he places the weapon on Lilith's desk and slides it across. "Out of order. Permanently, I hope. You have a crematorium, correct?' "Yes, that we do. And I will take care to personally throw this thing into the furnace." Lilith wraps the smoking components in a satchel bag before announcing her verdict on the issue. "Here is your debriefing, all of you, so listen carefully. First of all: Syndicate members. One of your ultimate goals was to eliminate the Wolfgang, correct? Taking into account that that is also ours, and you assisted in the detaining of Lieutenant Briar, I'd be willing to accept you as some sort of branch of the Town Watch. You wouldn't be directly connected, but you will receive your assignments for us. Essentially, vigilantes with legal backing. You wouldn't wear or colors or bear our name, but you would be sponsored by us. However. I'm not simply going to let this fiasco slide without close examination. I want you all to report in for interview and examination every day until I completely clear you for the task. The process will take much longer then for other recruits, but I hope you understand why." "But of course! Completely reasonable, m'lady." "Hm. Do these men have your trust, Watchmen?" "Yes." "They've earned mine." "Very well. Second of all, The Harvester. Obviously I'm not going to allow it to spend another second on the streets. As soon as this debriefing concludes, I will personally march to the Town watch crematorium and chuck it in there myself. It won't cause any problems, will it?" "No, it would be able to melt without incident." "Good. Any objections to the device's destruction?" The room goes deathly silent for a few moments. "Excellent. Final matter: The heroes." The party perks up, listening intently on what was to come. "You did what I originally commissioned you to do, defused a conspiracy, and earned the Town Watch what appears to be some potent allies. Regardless of what happened on this outing, you have completed what I had originally hired you for and more. Thus, i have no problem giving you the second half of your reward. You each get a grating stone. Thank you for your service to the watch, heroes." Lilith retrieves a small marble case from her desk, clicking the latches and allowing the top to flip open. She removes five dense stones from it, depositing one into the hands of each hero. The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 46 Years Old, Human, Level 26 1/3 Paladin *Immune to Fragile, Sleep and Weakened* *Encouraged!* Power: 40 (+5**) Defense: 12 Health: 12/48 (+3*) Ether: 13/25 Gold: 153 Equipment: Scupperer (Great Sword, WP: 11, Darkness Fire, causes Bleeding Effect for 5 Damage until remedied or healed to full health, permanently Deadly Envenomed) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Counterstrike Gloves (On Free Hits, Deals damage to enemy equal to Boomingham's level), Heavy Armor (SP: 5, Immunity to Fragile), Tome of Affluence (Generates 10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle, immunity to sleep and weakened, accessory) ****Pseudo's Blessing's Blessing (Not an Artifact, +4 Power) Inventory: Frozen Saber (Great Sword, WP: 9, Light Ice, stunned effect), Bedroll, Mead, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immunity to Ice), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile for rest of battle, 5 ether, 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, 1 Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, Garnet, Sapphire, Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (+4 to Power, -6 to Ether), Hamantasch (consumable, lucky + blessed effects upon consumption for the length of one battle), Admantite Shard, Remedy, Seventh Heaven, Tonic, Milk, Emergency Essence, Mead, Grating Stone Debts: 128 Gold Arthur, 1 gold Docken, 75 gold Sorrow Arthur Justus Regulus VII (played by Flipz), Level 26 1/3 Sorcerer, 21-year-old male Human *Immune to Sealed* [ Currently in: Quest #70: The Syndicate] *Encouraged* *Lucky!* Power: 39 (25 + WP:13) Health: 38/38 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 4 + Permanent Boost: 4*) Ether: 17/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 1 + Robe of the Archmagi: 5) Defense: 3 (Robe of the Archmagi) Gold: 1554 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham; owed 50 gold by Grimwald Gjinko; owed 70 gold by En Sabah Nur,) Equipment: Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear, SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Overkill Gloves, Marksman's Monocle Inventory: Weapons: Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics), Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade, contains an Elixir), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable) Artifacts: Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Ancient Crown (Headwear, First successful strike of battle deals Cursed-effect), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves, Lens of Speed Reading, Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round), Sticky Gloves Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth), Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass Scrolls: Scroll of Blindness, 2x Scroll of Sealing (1x Lent to De'kra), Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, 2x Scroll of Frailty (1x Lent to Nyx), Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Badly Poisoned effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Consumables: Grand Potion x11, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Nostrum, Smelling Salts x 3, Mead, Jinxy Juice x2, Ether Core, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Badly Poisoned effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.), Zoot's Plaything, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Tesla Bomb, Grand Tonic, Double Rainbow, Bright Polish, Exterlate x2, Tonic, Emergency Essence, Double Rainbow, Grating Stone Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86) *Immune to Fragile!* 30 yrs old male human Rogue Level 13 Power: 23 (13+9+1) Defense: 4 Health: 16/19 Gold: 196 Equipment: Chromoid Drill (Dagger, WP: 9, succesful hits drop enemy's SP by 1.), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, Immunity to Fragile) Inventory: Leather Armor(SP:1), 4 Potions, 2 Venoms, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, 1 Mead, Smelling Salts, Mulled Wine, Remedy x2, Tricorne (SP:3), Cheesy Dagger (WP:8, Double damage to vermin), Topaz, Seventh Heaven, Grating Stone Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. Unknown age male human ranger Level 13 Power: 21 Health: 17/18 Gold: 155 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (+1 WP to all Bows/Crossbows), Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, Immune to Doomed effect), Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Nostrum x2, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Potion x4, Remedy x4, Gentleman's Hat (SP: 1, suitable for men, headgear. The wearer has a 1/2 chance to not be affected by Asleep.), Venom, Ice Bomb, Grand Potion, Bow(WP:5), Mead x2, White Marksman's Hat - (⅙ chance of Assassination vs. Flying monsters; Headwear), Grating Stone Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintobor) 22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 15.5 Power: 21 (lvl 15 + WP: 6) Health: 20/21 Gold: 331 Defence: 0 Equipment: Sexy (WP: 6, Rapier, Disregards SP, usable by Knights and Rogues), Lover's Locket (Protects from enamoured effect), Catsuit (Wearer has 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits; suitable to women only; bodywear) Inventory: Mead, Remedy (1), Venom (1), Smoke bomb (1), Telescope (1), Bedroll (1), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Map of Brendenton (1), Spider Coin (worth 1 gp) (1),, Topaz, Scroll of Newtity (costs 10 ether)(usable by ex-Amphibians only), Ethereal Cloak (SP +2, Max. Ether +4), Nostrum, Mulled Wine, Leather Armor (Bodywear, SP: 1), Masson's Photo, Entry 11, Pixie Dust, Grating Stone Clutching the stones in their palms and pocketing them, the heroes had obtained the entirety of their reward. With The Syndicate pacified and turned to the forces of good, the party knew that ~The Quest Was Successful!~ The group of then escorts themselves out of Lilith's office, lingering outside of the Town watch HQ to say their goodbyes. There is a quiet for some time, but Masson breaks the silence. He removes his hood and speaks: "Well... Today certainly was eventful, wasn't it? I do hope we're parting on good terms, heroes, or at least not on bad ones. Despite the events that occured these past two days, it really was a pleasure to meet you all - or, in some case, meet you again. But since theSyndicate will have the backing of the law soon enough, I won't be forced into covert fortresses anymore. Perhaps we'll encounter eachother on the streets of Eubric again some day?" Octavyn laughs. "Hey, boss, no need to bore 'em to death! All's well that ends well! Lets celebebrate or something! We three will probably head down to the Albatross for a few drinks. We practically got an unlimited number. After all..." Octavyn pulls back his hood, and the party nearly suffers a collective jaw drop. "I am the barkeep there!" Octavyn pulls the golden hood back over his face again, chuckling at the party's surprise. "What? Is a guy not allowed to have a day job? Anyway... that's besides the point. You tagging along, Masson?" "No thanks, maybe another night." Masson smiles warmly and turns to Karie, offering her his hand. "I think I have someone else I'd like to spend the night with."

The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 46 Years Old, Human, Level 26 1/3 Paladin *Immune to Fragile, Sleep and Weakened* *Encouraged!* Power: 40 (+5**) Defense: 12 Health: 12/48 (+3*) Ether: 13/25 Gold: 153 Equipment: Scupperer (Great Sword, WP: 11, Darkness Fire, causes Bleeding Effect for 5 Damage until remedied or healed to full health, permanently Deadly Envenomed) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Counterstrike Gloves (On Free Hits, Deals damage to enemy equal to Boomingham's level), Heavy Armor (SP: 5, Immunity to Fragile), Tome of Affluence (Generates 10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle, immunity to sleep and weakened, accessory) ****Pseudo's Blessing's Blessing (Not an Artifact, +4 Power) Inventory: Frozen Saber (Great Sword, WP: 9, Light Ice, stunned effect), Bedroll, Mead, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immunity to Ice), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile for rest of battle, 5 ether, 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, 1 Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, Garnet, Sapphire, Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (+4 to Power, -6 to Ether), Hamantasch (consumable, lucky + blessed effects upon consumption for the length of one battle), Admantite Shard, Remedy, Seventh Heaven, Tonic, Milk, Emergency Essence, Mead Debts: 128 Gold Arthur, 1 gold Docken, 75 gold Sorrow Arthur Justus Regulus VII (played by Flipz), Level 26 1/3 Sorcerer, 21-year-old male Human *Immune to Sealed* [ Currently in: Quest #70: The Syndicate] *Encouraged* *Lucky!* Power: 39 (25 + WP:13) Health: 38/38 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 4 + Permanent Boost: 4*) Ether: 17/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 1 + Robe of the Archmagi: 5) Defense: 3 (Robe of the Archmagi) Gold: 1554 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham; owed 50 gold by Grimwald Gjinko; owed 70 gold by En Sabah Nur,) Equipment: Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear, SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Overkill Gloves, Marksman's Monocle Inventory: Weapons: Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics), Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade, contains an Elixir), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable) Artifacts: Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Ancient Crown (Headwear, First successful strike of battle deals Cursed-effect), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves, Lens of Speed Reading, Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round), Sticky Gloves Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth), Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass Scrolls: Scroll of Blindness, 2x Scroll of Sealing (1x Lent to De'kra), Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, 2x Scroll of Frailty (1x Lent to Nyx), Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Badly Poisoned effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Consumables: Grand Potion x11, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Nostrum, Smelling Salts x 3, Mead, Jinxy Juice x2, Ether Core, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Badly Poisoned effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.), Zoot's Plaything, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Tesla Bomb, Grand Tonic, Double Rainbow, Bright Polish, Exterlate x2, Tonic, Emergency Essence, Double Rainbow Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86) *Immune to Fragile!* 30 yrs old male human Rogue Level 13 Power: 23 (13+9+1) Defense: 4 Health: 16/19 Gold: 196 Equipment: Chromoid Drill (Dagger, WP: 9, succesful hits drop enemy's SP by 1.), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, Immunity to Fragile) Inventory: Leather Armor(SP:1), 4 Potions, 2 Venoms, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, 1 Mead, Smelling Salts, Mulled Wine, Remedy x2, Tricorne (SP:3), Cheesy Dagger (WP:8, Double damage to vermin), Topaz, Seventh Heaven Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. Unknown age male human ranger Level 13 Power: 21 Health: 17/18 Gold: 155 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (+1 WP to all Bows/Crossbows), Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, Immune to Doomed effect), Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Nostrum x2, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Potion x4, Remedy x4, Gentleman's Hat (SP: 1, suitable for men, headgear. The wearer has a 1/2 chance to not be affected by Asleep.), Venom, Ice Bomb, Grand Potion, Bow(WP:5), Mead x2, White Marksman's Hat - (⅙ chance of Assassination vs. Flying monsters; Headwear) Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintobor) 22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 15.5 Power: 21 (lvl 15 + WP: 6) Health: 20/21 Gold: 331 Defence: 0 Equipment: Sexy (WP: 6, Rapier, Disregards SP, usable by Knights and Rogues), Lover's Locket (Protects from enamoured effect), Catsuit (Wearer has 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits; suitable to women only; bodywear) Inventory: Mead, Remedy (1), Venom (1), Smoke bomb (1), Telescope (1), Bedroll (1), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Map of Brendenton (1), Spider Coin (worth 1 gp) (1),, Topaz, Scroll of Newtity (costs 10 ether)(usable by ex-Amphibians only), Ethereal Cloak (SP +2, Max. Ether +4), Nostrum, Mulled Wine, Leather Armor (Bodywear, SP: 1), Masson's Photo, Entry 11, Pixie Dust Nevron bends down and shackles the hands of the three Wolfgang goons, he and the two Syndicate Elites picking up the unconscious men to transport them to the Town Watch prison. "To the HQ, then." The party begins their final trek through Eubric, en route to the Town Watch HQ once more. These past two days had proven to be some of the most stressful in their Heroica careers as of late, but fortunately the heroes managed to conquer all of the trials set in front of them - and in the process, earned a few good allies and friends. They had defused a conspiracy and managed to capture one of the highest-ranking officers in the Wolfgang. Despite their flaws and shortcomings, the party truly felt like heroes. The heroes receive their fair share of odd glances as they escort the three unconscious men, but it doesn't take long before they arrive at the HQ once more. Walking in and depositing the three Wolfgang goons to prison warden, the group of ten makes their way to Lilith's office for the final time. The Town watch lieutenant looks skeptically at the party, her hand instincitvely creeping towards her rapier. She raises an eyebrow, and speaks. "So you brought in 7 convicts. Excellent work." "Thank you, Lilith." "Now, care to explain why four of them are currently standing in my office?"

That too. Boomingham is usually so quick to speak up and really almost never bites his tongue... Seeing him almost silent after Battle 4 was a bit unsettling, but in a very good way.

Then express it in-quest! You may literally be at the end of the quest (heck, it may end today), but the inter-party conflict doesn't just stop. But, hey, you have Masson with you, so.

I just realized, I forgot your Bleeding and +5 Power Bonus that entire last battle. Huzzah!

QM Note: Correct me if I'm wrong, but the scarf was originally Arthur's, right? QM Note: Drat drat drat. I fixed it, Zepher. Also, that is the coldest loot distribution I've seen yet. I applaud you.

That is practically a double nerf to Rogues, the second being incredibly severe - since some people think it is fine now, I don't think that slamming a class with two major nerfs at once isn't a good idea. Besdies, Nerf 1 would still get QMs to drop gold. \

Round Three of the Syndicate with the Syndicate Battle! >Boomingham VS Briar (front): Hit (11+26=37x4=148-3=145 damage) >Karie does nothing >Masson VS Syndicate Goon A (front): Damage Shield: Veni Vidi Vici (8+50=58x2=116 damage to all enemies - Sentinel raised) >Syndicate Elite Silver uses a potion on Karie (back) >Syndicate Elite Black uses a potion on Octavyn (back) >Octavyn VS Wolfgang Goon A (back): Shield: Mug (14x3=42+25=67/2=34-4=30 damage) >Arthur casts Sealing on Wolfgang Goon A (back): Success! >Arthur (Darkness) VS Wolfgang Goon A (back): Special Damage Hit (13+26=39x4=156-4=152 damage - 152-87=65 gold overkill) >Arnulf VS Briar (back): Miss >Em VS Briar (back): Critical Hit (7x2=14+1=15+12=27-2=25 damage) >Nevron VS Briar (front): Shield: Mug (7x3=21+14=35-3=32 damage) >Briar VS Boomingham (front): No confusion, 48-12=36 damage >Briar: Remains Hastened The party whittles down their enemies, Masson once again going on the defensive. This folly was just about over. The battle rages on! "N-no! HOW?" Wolfgang Lieutenant Briar, Level 48 Humanoid *Hastened!* *Inspired!* HP: 130/900 SP: 1 Immune to Blindness and Sealing! Specials: Battleaxe Barrage: All heroes take damage equal to their level +4, disregarding row. Double Dose: Takes two swigs from his flask, allowing him to get two positive effects next round instead of one. Cannot have two of the same positive effects. Special decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Indulgence: Briar takes a swig from his flask at the end of every round. He becomes either Encouraged, hastened, or Lucky for one round. Can only have one positive effect at a time, unless under the effects of Double Dose. Drops: 60 gold, Double Rainbow The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 46 Years Old, Human, Level 26 Paladin *Immune to Fragile, Sleep and Weakened* *Encouraged!* Power: 40 (+5**) Defense: 12 Health: 12/48 (+3*) Ether: 13/25 Gold: 118 Equipment: Scupperer (Great Sword, WP: 11, Darkness Fire, causes Bleeding Effect for 5 Damage until remedied or healed to full health, permanently Deadly Envenomed) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Counterstrike Gloves (On Free Hits, Deals damage to enemy equal to Boomingham's level), Heavy Armor (SP: 5, Immunity to Fragile), Tome of Affluence (Generates 10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle, immunity to sleep and weakened, accessory) ****Pseudo's Blessing's Blessing (Not an Artifact, +4 Power) Inventory: Frozen Saber (Great Sword, WP: 9, Light Ice, stunned effect), Bedroll, Mead, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immunity to Ice), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile for rest of battle, 5 ether, 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, 1 Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, Garnet, Sapphire, Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (+4 to Power, -6 to Ether), Hamantasch (consumable, lucky + blessed effects upon consumption for the length of one battle), Admantite Shard, Remedy, Seventh Heaven, Tonic, Milk, Emergency Essence, Mead Debts: 128 Gold Arthur, 1 gold Docken, 75 gold Sorrow Arthur Justus Regulus VII (played by Flipz), Level 26 Sorcerer, 21-year-old male Human *Immune to Sealed* [ Currently in: Quest #70: The Syndicate] *Encouraged* *Lucky!* Power: 39 (25 + WP:13) Health: 38/38 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 4 + Permanent Boost: 4*) Ether: 17/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 1 + Robe of the Archmagi: 5) Defense: 3 (Robe of the Archmagi) Gold: 1544 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham; owed 50 gold by Grimwald Gjinko; owed 70 gold by En Sabah Nur,) Equipment: Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear, SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Overkill Gloves, Marksman's Monocle Inventory: Weapons: Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics), Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade, contains an Elixir), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable) Artifacts: Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Ancient Crown (Headwear, First successful strike of battle deals Cursed-effect), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves, Lens of Speed Reading Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth), Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass Scrolls: Scroll of Blindness, 2x Scroll of Sealing (1x Lent to De'kra), Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, 2x Scroll of Frailty (1x Lent to Nyx), Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Badly Poisoned effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Consumables: Grand Potion x11, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Nostrum, Smelling Salts x 3, Mead, Jinxy Juice x2, Ether Core, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Badly Poisoned effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.), Zoot's Plaything, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Tesla Bomb, Grand Tonic, Double Rainbow, Bright Polish, Exterlate x2, Tonic, Emergency Essence, Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86) *Immune to Fragile!* *Encouraged!* *Inspired!* 30 yrs old male human Rogue Level 12.5 Power: 22 (12+9+1) Defense: 4 Health: 15/18 30/38 (7+11) Gold: 186 Equipment: Chromoid Drill (Dagger, WP: 9, succesful hits drop enemy's SP by 1.), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, Immunity to Fragile), Sticky Gloves Inventory: Leather Armor(SP:1), 4 Potions, 2 Venoms, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, 1 Mead, Smelling Salts, Mulled Wine, Remedy x2, Tricorne (SP:3), Cheesy Dagger (WP:8, Double damage to vermin), Topaz Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. *Inspired!* Unknown age male human ranger Level 12.5 Power: 20 Health: 16/17 32/34 Gold: 120 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (+1 WP to all Bows/Crossbows), Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, Immune to Doomed effect), Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Nostrum x2, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Potion x4, Remedy x4, Gentleman's Hat (SP: 1, suitable for men, headgear. The wearer has a 1/2 chance to not be affected by Asleep.), Venom, Ice Bomb, Grand Potion, Bow(WP:5), Mead x2, White Marksman's Hat - (⅙ chance of Assassination vs. Flying monsters; Headwear) Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round) "Lets end this, Briar!" Nevron Utral, Level 14.5 Rogue HP: 20/20 Power: 21 SP: 1 Equipment: Standard Issue Rapier (WP: 7), Gallant Gauntlets (SP: 1, Handwear. User has a 1/6 chance to become Encouraged at the start of every battle.) Inventory: Trial Brew, Soma, 30 gold, Remedy Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintobor) *Inspired!* *Encouraged!* 22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 15 Power: 21 (lvl 15 + WP: 6) Health: 20/21 26/42 Gold: 321 Defence: 0 Equipment: Sexy (WP: 6, Rapier, Disregards SP, usable by Knights and Rogues), Lover's Locket (Protects from enamoured effect), Catsuit (Wearer has 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits; suitable to women only; bodywear) Inventory: Mead, Remedy (1), Venom (1), Smoke bomb (1), Telescope (1), Bedroll (1), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Map of Brendenton (1), Spider Coin (worth 1 gp) (1),, Topaz, Scroll of Newtity (costs 10 ether)(usable by ex-Amphibians only), Ethereal Cloak (SP +2, Max. Ether +4), Nostrum, Mulled Wine, Leather Armor (Bodywear, SP: 1), Masson's Photo, Entry 11 "This shouldn't take too much longer." Masson Cour, Level 50 Paragon *Encouraged* *Lucky!* HP: 105/105 SP: 12 Equipment: Syndicate Cape (SP: 12, usable only by Masson), Spare Dagger (WP: 8) Inventory: Mead, Nostrum, Smelling Salts "Heh heh heh." Octavyn Scelin, Level 25 Rogue HP: 19/32 SP: 4 Equipment: Lesser Syndicate Cape (SP: 4, usable only by Octavyn), Corseque (WP: 14) Inventory: Nostrum, Neutralizer "Heh! Skills are as sharp as ever..." Syndicate Elite (Black), Level 15 Rogue *Immune to Doomed!* HP: 22/22 SP: 2 Equipment: Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, immunity to Doomed), Twin Renders (WP: 5, Dual Strike) Inventory: "Hm..." Syndicate Elite (Silver), Level 14 Rogue *Immune to Doomed!* HP: 21/21 SP: 2 Equipment: Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, immunity to Doomed), Spear (WP: 11) Inventory: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Round Four of the Syndicate with the Syndicate Battle! >Boomingham VS Briar (front): Critical Hit (11x2=22+25=47x4=188-1=187 damage) ... Boomingham rushes in, swinging at a terrified Briar. Underneath the layers of malice and snark, he was just as Nevron described: a craven coward who wanted nothing more then power. With his lackeys dispatched and he himself being reduced to dire straits, his formidable air seemed to evaporate, the Wolfgang lieutenant practically trembling in fear. Boomingham easily swats him to the ground with the Scupperer, the lieutenant defeated. "B-b-but... How? How? I was... I was going to be... Ulric's favorite! HOW??" The destruction of twisted dreams and his utter defeat in battle proves too much for Briar. He succumbs to his wounds and goes unconscious. Nevron stands over the knocked-out body of his former childhood friend. "Maybe jail will teach you a lesson, Briar." The Battle is Victorious! All heroes gain their respective amounts of EXP. Party Leader, please distribute the loot: Seventh Heaven Double Rainbow Pixie Dust 100 gold The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 46 Years Old, Human, Level 26 1/3 Paladin *Immune to Fragile, Sleep and Weakened* *Encouraged!* Power: 40 (+5**) Defense: 12 Health: 12/48 (+3*) Ether: 13/25 Gold: 108 Equipment: Scupperer (Great Sword, WP: 11, Darkness Fire, causes Bleeding Effect for 5 Damage until remedied or healed to full health, permanently Deadly Envenomed) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Counterstrike Gloves (On Free Hits, Deals damage to enemy equal to Boomingham's level), Heavy Armor (SP: 5, Immunity to Fragile), Tome of Affluence (Generates 10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle, immunity to sleep and weakened, accessory) ****Pseudo's Blessing's Blessing (Not an Artifact, +4 Power) Inventory: Frozen Saber (Great Sword, WP: 9, Light Ice, stunned effect), Bedroll, Mead, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immunity to Ice), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile for rest of battle, 5 ether, 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, 1 Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, Garnet, Sapphire, Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (+4 to Power, -6 to Ether), Hamantasch (consumable, lucky + blessed effects upon consumption for the length of one battle), Admantite Shard, Remedy, Seventh Heaven, Tonic, Milk, Emergency Essence, Mead Debts: 128 Gold Arthur, 1 gold Docken, 75 gold Sorrow Arthur Justus Regulus VII (played by Flipz), Level 26 1/3 Sorcerer, 21-year-old male Human *Immune to Sealed* [ Currently in: Quest #70: The Syndicate] *Encouraged* *Lucky!* Power: 39 (25 + WP:13) Health: 38/38 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 4 + Permanent Boost: 4*) Ether: 17/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 1 + Robe of the Archmagi: 5) Defense: 3 (Robe of the Archmagi) Gold: 1544 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham; owed 50 gold by Grimwald Gjinko; owed 70 gold by En Sabah Nur,) Equipment: Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear, SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Overkill Gloves, Marksman's Monocle Inventory: Weapons: Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics), Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade, contains an Elixir), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable) Artifacts: Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Ancient Crown (Headwear, First successful strike of battle deals Cursed-effect), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves, Lens of Speed Reading, Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round) Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth), Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass Scrolls: Scroll of Blindness, 2x Scroll of Sealing (1x Lent to De'kra), Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, 2x Scroll of Frailty (1x Lent to Nyx), Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Badly Poisoned effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Consumables: Grand Potion x11, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Nostrum, Smelling Salts x 3, Mead, Jinxy Juice x2, Ether Core, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Badly Poisoned effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.), Zoot's Plaything, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Tesla Bomb, Grand Tonic, Double Rainbow, Bright Polish, Exterlate x2, Tonic, Emergency Essence, Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86) *Immune to Fragile!* 30 yrs old male human Rogue Level 13 Power: 23 (13+9+1) Defense: 4 Health: 16/19 Gold: 186 Equipment: Chromoid Drill (Dagger, WP: 9, succesful hits drop enemy's SP by 1.), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, Immunity to Fragile), Sticky Gloves Inventory: Leather Armor(SP:1), 4 Potions, 2 Venoms, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, 1 Mead, Smelling Salts, Mulled Wine, Remedy x2, Tricorne (SP:3), Cheesy Dagger (WP:8, Double damage to vermin), Topaz Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. Unknown age male human ranger Level 13 Power: 21 Health: 17/18 Gold: 120 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (+1 WP to all Bows/Crossbows), Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, Immune to Doomed effect), Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Nostrum x2, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Potion x4, Remedy x4, Gentleman's Hat (SP: 1, suitable for men, headgear. The wearer has a 1/2 chance to not be affected by Asleep.), Venom, Ice Bomb, Grand Potion, Bow(WP:5), Mead x2, White Marksman's Hat - (⅙ chance of Assassination vs. Flying monsters; Headwear) Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintobor) 22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 15.5 Power: 21 (lvl 15 + WP: 6) Health: 20/21 Gold: 321 Defence: 0 Equipment: Sexy (WP: 6, Rapier, Disregards SP, usable by Knights and Rogues), Lover's Locket (Protects from enamoured effect), Catsuit (Wearer has 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits; suitable to women only; bodywear) Inventory: Mead, Remedy (1), Venom (1), Smoke bomb (1), Telescope (1), Bedroll (1), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Map of Brendenton (1), Spider Coin (worth 1 gp) (1),, Topaz, Scroll of Newtity (costs 10 ether)(usable by ex-Amphibians only), Ethereal Cloak (SP +2, Max. Ether +4), Nostrum, Mulled Wine, Leather Armor (Bodywear, SP: 1), Masson's Photo, Entry 11 The Syndicate members step back as the party distributes the loot. "We don't need a portion, heroes. All yours." "Not a bad workout! Incredibly easy fight, though. Shame." "It remains a good sign, however, if Briar was one of the Wolfgang's better troops. Besides... We had them outnumbered, 10 to 3. Perhaps, however, this battle does lend credence to the idea of a joint effort between the Syndicate and the Town Watch... I can mull over career chocies later, though. First, we must secure Nevron's safety." Masson removes a small vial of purple liquid from his cloak, pouring some of it into the palm of his glove. Exterlate. He gently places his gloved hand over the mouths of the two Wolfgang goons, Briar already administered a dosage of the chemical. "Nevron is an interloper. Nevron is with the Town Watch. Nevron is a traitor to the Wolfgang." The three bodies seem to quiver as the chemical runs its course, their shaking stopping after a few moments. After the chemical had taken its effect, the three bodies on the ground almost looked peaceful. "You have to bring the memories to the surface before you can delete them," Masson explains. "Saying whatever you want erased makes the subconscious mind think about it, and allows exterlate to wipe it. They'll wake up the same people, I fear, but the detail about Nevron will be omitted." "Thank you, Stealer." Masson chuckles. "I'm not the Stealer anymore, Nevron. Nobody will be calling me that dreadful name anymore. Please, call me Masson."

Yes, it is.

Masson's eyes remain locked to the battlefield, analyzing the foes before him while preparing to strike. "Well, if I eventually end up working in joint effort with the Town Watch, heroics like that are probably going to end up being part of my day job." Masson turned away from the battlefield, glancing at Karie. He speaks with sincerity: "You don't need to owe my anything, Karie. After all, I think it's safe to say you've already saved me, ma chérie."

"Wonderful job, folks. Do try to keep up, friends, or these Wolfgang goons will step all over us." Same action, same order.

QM Note: My bad, I forgot Paladins had that! I rolled for it and you are no longer enraged. However, since Veni Vidi Vici puts up a Sentinel, I'll move up anyone who can attack from the front to the front, Boomingham included. "I'm sorry, Karie, but I don't have anything to heal Octavyn with next round." Round One of the Syndicate with the Syndicate Battle! >Boomingham VS Briar (front): Critical Hit (11x2=22+26=48x4=192-5=187 damage) >Masson VS Wolfgang Goon B (front): Special Damage Critical Hit (8x3=24+50=74x2=148-4=144 damage) >Karie VS Briar (front): Special Damage (No confusion. Battleaxe Barrage - nothing happens!) >Arthur casts Blindness on Wolfgang Goon A (back): Failure! >Arthur casts Blindness on Wolfgang Goon A (back): Success! >Octavyn VS Wolfgang Goon B (front): Shield: Mug (14x3=42+25=77 damage) >Syndicate Elite (Black) VS Wolfgang Goon A (front): Shield Hit (5+15=20x2=40-4=36 damage) >Syndicate Elite (Silver) VS Wolfgang Goon A (front): Special Damage Damage (Nothing happens) >Arnulf VS Briar (front): Hit (9+12=21x2=42-5=37 damage, -1 SP) >Em VS Wolfgang Goon A (back): Critical Hit Special Damage (Double Dose) >Nevron does nothing >Briar: Becomes Hastened >Wolfgang Goon A: Becomes Hastened and Encouraged The battle rages on, the party whittling their opposition down to fatal straits. However, there are a few missteps - Briar brings down his battleaxe, nearly hitting Karie - however, Masson rushes in, catching the axe as it falls down. Massson wrenches it out Briar's of hands and throws it, the axe slamming into the wall and clattering to the ground. "I would advise you don't try that again, Briar." One of the wolfgang goons is knockedd unconscious, but the other rolls out of the way of Em's attack, taking a double dose. The battle rages on! "Hnrgh. This can't be happening...!" Wolfgang Lieutenant Briar, Level 48 Humanoid *Hastened!* *Confused! 1 rounds remaining* *Plagued! 1 rounds remaining* *Inspired!* HP: 460/900 SP: 3 Immune to Blindness and Sealing! Specials: Battleaxe Barrage: All heroes take damage equal to their level +4, disregarding row. Double Dose: Takes two swigs from his flask, allowing him to get two positive effects next round instead of one. Cannot have two of the same positive effects. Special decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Indulgence: Briar takes a swig from his flask at the end of every round. He becomes either Encouraged, hastened, or Lucky for one round. Can only have one positive effect at a time, unless under the effects of Double Dose. Drops: 60 gold, Double Rainbow "MAN I feel good!" Wolfgang Goon A, Level 27 54 Humanoid *Encouraged!* *Hastened!* *Blind! 3 rounds remaining* HP: 229/400 SP: 4 Specials: Double Slash: The Wolfgang Goon hits the hero who rolled Special Damage for damage equal to his level (disregarding SP), and hits that same hero again at the end of the next round also for damage equal to his level (disregarding Row). Double Dose: Takes two swigs from his flask, allowing him to get two positive effects next round instead of one. Cannot have two of the same positive effects. Specials decided by die roll. Passive Specials: Indulgence: Briar takes a swig from his flask at the end of every round. He becomes either Encouraged, hastened, or Lucky for one round. Can only have one positive effect at a time, unless under the effects of Double Dose. Drops: 20 gold, Pixie Dust The Party: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 46 Years Old, Human, Level 26 Paladin *Immune to Fragile, Sleep and Weakened* *Encouraged!* Power: 40 (+5**) Defense: 12 Health: 48/48 (+3*) Ether: 13/25 Gold: 108 Equipment: Scupperer (Great Sword, WP: 11, Darkness Fire, causes Bleeding Effect for 5 Damage until remedied or healed to full health, permanently Deadly Envenomed) Round Metal Shield (SP: 7), Counterstrike Gloves (On Free Hits, Deals damage to enemy equal to Boomingham's level), Heavy Armor (SP: 5, Immunity to Fragile), Tome of Affluence (Generates 10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle, immunity to sleep and weakened, accessory) ****Pseudo's Blessing's Blessing (Not an Artifact, +4 Power) Inventory: Frozen Saber (Great Sword, WP: 9, Light Ice, stunned effect), Bedroll, Mead, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immunity to Ice), Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile for rest of battle, 5 ether, 50/50 chance), Scroll of Blindness, 1 Scroll of Weakening, Scroll of Fragility, Scroll of Sealing, Garnet, Sapphire, Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (+4 to Power, -6 to Ether), Hamantasch (consumable, lucky + blessed effects upon consumption for the length of one battle), Admantite Shard, Remedy, Seventh Heaven, Tonic, Milk, Emergency Essence, Mead Debts: 128 Gold Arthur, 1 gold Docken, 75 gold Sorrow Arthur Justus Regulus VII (played by Flipz), Level 26 Sorcerer, 21-year-old male Human *Immune to Sealed* [ Currently in: Quest #70: The Syndicate] *Encouraged* *Lucky!* Power: 39 (25 + WP:13) Health: 38/38 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 4 + Permanent Boost: 4*) Ether: 17/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 25 + Class Boost: 1 + Robe of the Archmagi: 5) Defense: 3 (Robe of the Archmagi) Gold: 1480 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham; owed 50 gold by Grimwald Gjinko; owed 70 gold by En Sabah Nur,) Equipment: Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear, SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Overkill Gloves, Marksman's Monocle Inventory: Weapons: Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics), Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade, contains an Elixir), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Healing Staff (WP:5; heals instead of damaging), Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable) Artifacts: Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Ancient Crown (Headwear, First successful strike of battle deals Cursed-effect), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves, Lens of Speed Reading Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth), Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass Scrolls: Scroll of Blindness, 2x Scroll of Sealing (1x Lent to De'kra), Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, 2x Scroll of Frailty (1x Lent to Nyx), Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Badly Poisoned effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Consumables: Grand Potion x11, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Nostrum, Smelling Salts x 3, Mead, Jinxy Juice x2, Ether Core, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Badly Poisoned effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.), Zoot's Plaything, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Tesla Bomb, Grand Tonic, Double Rainbow, Bright Polish, Exterlate x2, Tonic, Emergency Essence, Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86) *Immune to Fragile!* *Encouraged!* *Inspired!* 30 yrs old male human Rogue Level 12.5 Power: 22 (12+9+1) Defense: 4 Health: 15/18 30/38 (7+11) Gold: 186 Equipment: Chromoid Drill (Dagger, WP: 9, succesful hits drop enemy's SP by 1.), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, Immunity to Fragile), Sticky Gloves Inventory: Leather Armor(SP:1), 4 Potions, 2 Venoms, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, 1 Mead, Smelling Salts, Mulled Wine, Remedy x2, Tricorne (SP:3), Cheesy Dagger (WP:8, Double damage to vermin), Topaz Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. *Inspired!* Unknown age male human ranger Level 12.5 Power: 20 Health: 16/17 32/34 Gold: 120 Equipment: Aquabow (WP: 7, Water-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (+1 WP to all Bows/Crossbows), Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, Immune to Doomed effect), Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Nostrum x2, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Potion x4, Remedy x4, Gentleman's Hat (SP: 1, suitable for men, headgear. The wearer has a 1/2 chance to not be affected by Asleep.), Venom, Ice Bomb, Grand Potion, Bow(WP:5), Mead x2, White Marksman's Hat - (⅙ chance of Assassination vs. Flying monsters; Headwear) Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round) "Lets end this, Briar!" Nevron Utral, Level 14.5 Rogue HP: 20/20 Power: 21 SP: 1 Equipment: Standard Issue Rapier (WP: 7), Gallant Gauntlets (SP: 1, Handwear. User has a 1/6 chance to become Encouraged at the start of every battle.) Inventory: Trial Brew, Soma, 30 gold, Remedy Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintobor) *Inspired!* *Encouraged!* 22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 15 Power: 21 (lvl 15 + WP: 6) Health: 20/21 16/42 Gold: 321 Defence: 0 Equipment: Sexy (WP: 6, Rapier, Disregards SP, usable by Knights and Rogues), Lover's Locket (Protects from enamoured effect), Catsuit (Wearer has 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits; suitable to women only; bodywear) Inventory: Mead, Remedy (1), Venom (1), Smoke bomb (1), Telescope (1), Bedroll (1), Heirloom Dagger (WP: 3), Map of Brendenton (1), Spider Coin (worth 1 gp) (1),, Topaz, Scroll of Newtity (costs 10 ether)(usable by ex-Amphibians only), Ethereal Cloak (SP +2, Max. Ether +4), Nostrum, Mulled Wine, Leather Armor (Bodywear, SP: 1), Masson's Photo, Entry 11 "This shouldn't take too much longer." Masson Cour, Level 50 Paragon *Encouraged* *Lucky!* HP: 105/105 SP: 12 Equipment: Syndicate Cape (SP: 12, usable only by Masson), Spare Dagger (WP: 8) Inventory: Mead, Nostrum, Smelling Salts "Heh heh heh." Octavyn Scelin, Level 25 Rogue HP: 9/32 SP: 4 Equipment: Lesser Syndicate Cape (SP: 4, usable only by Octavyn), Corseque (WP: 14) Inventory: Nostrum, Neutralizer "Heh! Skills are as sharp as ever..." Syndicate Elite (Black), Level 15 Rogue *Immune to Doomed!* HP: 22/22 SP: 2 Equipment: Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, immunity to Doomed), Twin Renders (WP: 5, Dual Strike) Inventory: Potion "Hm..." Syndicate Elite (Silver), Level 14 Rogue *Immune to Doomed!* HP: 21/21 SP: 2 Equipment: Syndicate Cowl (SP: 2, immunity to Doomed), Spear (WP: 11) Inventory: Potion