Flipz

I may be biased, but I actually prefer Quest 66. I think the party-splitting mechanic was really smart, and it allowed us all a lot of meaningful choice but did so in a way that didn't require loads and loads of extra work for him. 34 was really awesome, too, though. Hmm...you know, that is something I've noticed. All of my favorite Sandy Quests seem to be the ones in which he mainly focuses on story and keeps the mechanics to the basics--I guess I see him more as a story QM like Zepher rather than a mechanics QM like Endgame. I wonder what other stereotypes I've unconsciously pigeonholed other QMs into? Anyway, I mentioned choice, so now here's an Extra Credits episode I wish we'd had a long time ago.

Arthur heads straight for the Library.

Back in the Chaos days (when I thought Wren was going to win no matter what we did ), I had planned on Arthur going Prophet with Wren as his deity. (Thus the Spirit Pool plot thread). Now, though, I don't ever see him going back to Ether unless he gets Scholar (which I can only see him taking immediately before retirement). I do really really want the chance to take him into Winged Warrior at some point, though--his wings will be awesome. By the way, thanks for pointing out that character flaw of Noctus'--I had hoped someone would pick up on it.

Diana raises her eyebrow. "You mean it's not just a title? Veterans' standards are lower than I thought..." Ella says nothing, but merely smiles at Quarion. "Denerii will be very pleased by your enthusiasm." "Actually, Mr....please forgive me, I'm afraid I can't seem to recall your names--" "Germ," Dragonlord supplies. "The Ranger is Actaeon, the Party Leader, his Assassin friend is Diana N. Justice, the Knight is Miss Kiray Nastayo, and the mages are Siercon and Warlen--Warlen's the one with the floating skull...Quarion, I think it was. The mute Croaken cleric is Yuji Daeth." "Ah, like Mr. Harkenshire. Very well, and I'm so sorry. As I was saying, Mr. Germ, if we could make a brief detour to my home before we leave the city, I have a gem I would be more than happy to lend to Mr. Siercon or Mr. Warlen--if, of course, they wish it." "I'm all for getting to the fight as quick as we can and just getting it over with. But then again, I'm not exactly keen on ending my existence as a pile of cinders--I spent enough time getting char-broiled this morning, thanks to certain people." "Do not worry, Miss Justus. Your life is in good hands." Ella casts her gaze across the party, pausing to make eye contact with each and every one of them. Dragonlord and the Emperor exchange another look. "If it were just the Dragons, I'd probably say Vipera and Mallelio would be your best bet, but it's the riders you'll need to convince. We in Dastan don't really know much about them." <I will help you communicate with the Dragons, if you can convince them to calm down.> "Miss Nastayo's Diplomatic manner is probably your best bet. Speaking from experience, though, it's pretty hard to talk to someone who's zipping around on the back of a Dragon. One of the many perks of Dragoon-hood, actually. You'll probably have to do something drastic to get their attention if you want to talk to them." "Killing one of them would probably do the trick." Dragonlord grimaces, but nods. "Much as I hate to admit it, Diana may be right. Whatever you do, it has to be big--big enough to get their attention. Remember, lives are on the line. Do your best to keep the situation contained." "You know just about as much as I know--Noctus told you everything we know about them." Diana crosses her arms. "Typical House ignorance. The people in power pay zero attention to the people beneath them. Hell, it's probably true here--Emperor, who's Mallelio's best friend? What's his favorite food? What kind of books does he like to read?" Mallelio blushes and turns his face away for a moment. Emperor Septrine seems thoughtful. "Ah, Miss Justice, thank you, but that is not necessary. My personal interests are irrelevant to the needs of the people of Dastan. Emperor Septrine need not be concerned with--" "Regardless, I would like to know some of these things. It's been so long since we've discussed anything besides matters of state. We'll share a meal when you return." "If that is what you wish, Your Highness." The Sage seems embarrassed by all the attention. "For the record, it's Justus, not 'Justice'. Point is, Noctus Shadeaux didn't give a damn about his people, and now we're stuck with no other way of getting through to them." "You could have faith in your fellow Heroes, Miss Justus," Tarn interjects politely. "They might surprise you." Tarn winks at the Heroes, and Ella smiles at them as well. The Party: Actaeon Artus (Actaeon) *Party Leader* 21 year old male human Level 2 Ranger Power: 5 Health: 5/7 Gold: 30 Equipment: Bow (WP:3) Inventory: Smoke Bomb, Potion, Dragon Scale, Remedy, Bedroll, Scroll of Frailty Siercon (Siercon and Coral) Male, Age and species unknown Level 7 Mage Power: 15 (7 levels + 8 WP) Defense: 1 (Robe of the Magi) Health: 5/11 (5 base + 5 lvl) Ether: 8/11 (5 base + 5 lvl) Gold: 76 Equipment: Lullaby Wand (WP:8, deals sleep-effect; wand), Robe of the Magi (SP:1), Inventory: *Sylvania's Cowl (Artifact, Head Wear, Animal Talk), *Diamond (Light), Scroll of Sleep, Bedroll *Potion x2, Remedy, Dragon Scale, Trial Brew (Halves the drinkers max HP, max ether, and max SP for the duration of one battle. These effects are irremediable. Surviving a battle without getting knocked out in this state nets you double EXP. Being revived after being knocked-out removes these effects.) The Demon Germ (Samurai Turtle) ??? years old ; Half Demon; Male Level 2 Rogue Power: 5 Defense: 0 Health: 5/8 Ether: 0 Gold 28 Equipment: Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1; throwing weapon) Inventory: Copper Dagger (WP:3; dagger), Venom, Potion x2, Remedy, Dragon Scale, Bedroll Warlen Melimane and Quarion the floating skull (The Chosen Minifigure) 17 Year old Male Half-Elf Level 2 Mage Power: 5 (10 for spells) Power Bonus: +5 for spells Health: 6/6 Ether: 2/6 Gold: 20 Equipment: Gold-Coated bat staff (Wp:3), Spellbound Gloves (Power +5 to spells) (Loaned by Siercon) Inventory: Potion x2, Amethyst (Darkness), Sapphire (Wind), bedroll Yuji Daeth (Daeth) 34 year old male Croaken (Frog based race) Level 2 cleric Power: 5 Defense: 0 Health: 7/10 Ether: 2/6 Gold: 15 Equipment: Slightly Sharpened Croaken Staff (WP:3; staff) Inventory: Remedy, Potion x2 Kiray Nastayo (KingoftheZempk), A Hero Who Is Actually Worth Something *Immune to Fire* 24 year old female human Level 5 Knight Power: 8 Defense: 3 Health: 10/14 Gold: 5 Equipment: Sword of the Kin (WP:3), Scutum Shield (SP:2; shield), Flameproof Armor (SP:1, immune to Fire; bodywear, suitable for anyone) Inventory: Potion, Banana (Restores full health when eaten), Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 elemental damage to all opponents), Phoenix Essence, Bedroll Diana N. Justus (NPC, Uncontrollable/takes suggestions) 17 years old female human Assassin Level 2 Power: 5 Power Bonus: +0 Defense: 0 Health: 11/13 Gold: 259 Equipment: Ace Assassin's Crossbow (WP:3, crossbow), Belt of the Ace Assassin (Successful Assasination rolls on enemies immune to sudden death deal an extra Aim instead. Bodywear, Suitable for Assassins only.) Inventory: Potion x5, Mead x3, Smelling Salts x3, Nostrum x3, Remedy, Sticky Gloves (Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up), suitable for rogues and beast warriors) Mallelio (NPC, Uncontrollable/takes suggestions) Level 17 1/2 Sage Power: 18 Health: 32/32 Ether: 24/24 Gold: 15 Equipped: Wooden Staff (WP: 1, staff), Inventory: Remedy, Potion x2 QM Note: Please familiarize yourselves with the rolls and rules for Sage, as Mallelio will be with you for the remainder of the Quest.

No, that cloak is still mine, Thormy's just wearing it for this Quest since he'll get more out of it.

Arthur examines the statue with his Magnifying glass for any distinctive figures, then does the same for the wine collection, making a list of each bottle with their names, bottle shape, bottle color, year, presence or absence of the Shadeaux insignia, and any other significant information about them. If someone took a bottle from the place, he would know. "You wouldn't happen to have a list of these valuable items, would you?"

In wiki news, over the past two days, over 3,000 people have visited the wiki. We're also starting to see more in-depth information on places and people and lore--keep it up! Tomorrow, assuming nothing else comes up for me, I plan to add some more templates and categories for things like stubs and "needs pictures" that can then be linked on a "pages in need of help" page, which should help new users to find tasks in need of completion. I also encourage you all to register--I like seeing who shows up each day, and it also helps me keep track of who's doing what so I can see where to focus my behind-the-scenes efforts.

Hey, not your fault the rich-text editor is borked!

Eh. It's not as good as it was, but I at least managed to salvage what I could. (Zeph, Rumble, JimBee, you may begin berating me now for my hack job of writing for your characters. ) I don't think so, that was probably me screwing up when I was fixing everything up for Kinto in the wee hours of last night.

"Thank you for understanding." Mallelio considers the question for a moment. "Not that I can think of. Of the three Emperors of Dastan, Emperor Spetrine is probably the most forgiving. However...I would refrain from bringing up Constance--or the Dragon Knights, for that matter--unless you feel it necessary." "Ah, yes. I'm sure everyone here'd like to forget that incident altogether." "On the contrary, Dragonlord. The people of Dastan do not try to forget our bad memories, for we consider them as valuable as the good. We simply prefer not to dwell on them. Emperor Phyllus in particular is adamant about living in the present, while Princess Ella often speaks of thinking about the future we will leave to those who come after us--especially recently, after her return from Eubric. Ironically, our youngest Emperor, Emperor Alandri, is probably the most in tune with Dastan's traditions, even though he has experienced less of them." "Duly noted." Mallelio leads the party inside the Palace, through great tall hallways with vaulted ceilings and into Emperor Septrine's wing of the palace. He takes them through the first door they see, entering the Emperor's library. Inside stand three figures, one of whom steps forward with an air of authority to address the Heroes. "Your Highness, the Dragonlord, Veteran of Heroica, and the team of Heroes he has chosen." "Greetings, heroes! It has been quite a long time since we've had Heroes working in Dastan. We owe a lot to your organization, and I have high hopes you can help us just as much again. It is a pleasure to meet you, Dragonlord." "Likewise, Your Majesty." "Ah, where are my manners! I am Emperor Severus Septrine, and this is my daughter Ella and her...protector, Master Tarn of Valco." "Heroes." Ella gives Quarion a piercing stare, as if looking past the flaming skull and seeing the person he once was. "And friend." "Ella? My love, is something wrong?" Ella turns her gaze to Tarn and smiles. "No, Tarn. He is of no more harm to me than Atramor's companion, though he is of a different sort." Tarn nods, and then bows low to the Dragonlord. "I am honored to meet you, Dragonlord. It gladdens my heart so see Heroes of Heroica again. Is there any way I may be of assistance to you?" Dragonlord breaks into a grudging grin. "You mean like you 'assisted' us as a member of our organization? You've done a lot more than that for us. Heroica lost a fine man when you left, but I'm pleased to see you're happy in your new life. Maybe you and the Princess can show me around once we've sent the Heroes on their way." Tarn glances to Ella, who nods, and bows again. "We would be honored." Emperor Septrine clears his throat. "We do have important matters to discuss." "Of course." "Here's what we know: four and a half days ago, two Dragoons arrived in Dastan. We did not recieve word of who and what they were until the day after they left Voullin. When we learned of the situation, we sent word back to you and asked our allies, the Rito to track the men down. We're still waiting to get word, but if they managed to find transport east to Solomon--" Just then, two winged figures enter the room: the first a feathery-winged humanoid with an ornate helmet, the second a leathery-winged reptile with green scales--a small Dragon. "Your highness, we have learned--ah. We did not realize you had guests." "Come in, please. Heroes, Dragonlord, this is Ambassador Flavius of the Rito. With him is Vipera Callidus the Young, our Empire's Dragon Adviser." "Vipera and I happened to arrive simultaneously at the palace. She and I bear the same tidings, and it is not good." Vipera's voice echoes telepathically in the Heroes' minds. <The men you are tracking have arrived in the mountains of our homeland. Though my kin remain unconvinced they should interact with the outside world in spite of my efforts to persuade them, they may be able to sway Velquoriel and Kreika. They have not been seen recently, and have not responded to our attempts to contact them. Velquoriel and Kreika are among the younger of our kind. I believe these men will succeed in convincing them to join their cause.> Dragonlord and Emperor Septrine exchange a look. Diana speaks up, voicing both of their thoughts. "Damage control." "Indeed." <Heroes. You have a little time. My kind are not easily swayed, nor do we make decisions quickly. You will have until morning at least.> "Is that enough time to get to the Dragoons?" Emperor Septrine shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no." He points to a location on the map sitting on the table. "The home of the Dragons is far to the east of us and slightly to the north. It takes days to get there on horseback, even longer on foot. You wouldn't make it even close by tomorrow morning." "I seem to recall Vipera transporting Heroes long distances instantaneously the last time Heroica was here. Couldn't she do the same thing this time?" <No. My kind do not rest the same way you humans do. I have still not recovered from the last time I aided Heroica.> Flavius joins the others at the map. "My people have studied the currents of the wind for generations. We have determined the dragon-riders' most likely path." Flavius traces a long, slightly-curving line southwest across the continent, passing over the Lost Woods of Babaleth. "Wait just a second, aren't those woods cursed? Isn't any mortal who enters the forest doomed to wander within forever or something?" <Even if this is true, my kind would not be affected by such a spell. Given time, Velquoriel and Kreika will take them safely out of the forest.> "Not to mention that we have a team of Heroes in that area on an extremely important mission. We can't afford anything putting their mission in jeopardy." "The situation is worse than that." Flavius resumes tracing the Dragoons' path, passing through a large dot that everyone in the room had at least heard of: Charis. Dragonlord looks at Flavius in shock and horror. "You can't be serious!" "It is where the winds will carry their battle." Mallelio takes another look at the map. "Please allow me to see that for a moment..." Mallelio traces the path for himself, his eyes widening as he sees one of the dots through which it passes. "They're going to come straight through Domus! Emperor Phyllius is there right now, recruiting citizens to join the Dragon Knights!" Flavius nods. "When we determined their path, we notified the Emperor right away. The town is being evacuated as we speak, and Emperor Phyllius says he wants to make a stand there." "That sounds like Victor, all right. Heroes, you must leave for Domus immediately." "Wait," Flavius adds. "The Rito wish to lend our support. I must remain here in Drakencourt, but if you meet my mate, Denerii, at our settlement, she will provide you with supplies and join you in battle. She is most excited for the opportunity to aid Heroica once again." Dragonlord turns to the Heroes. "The decision is yours: will you go straight to Domus, or will you stop at the Rito Settlement first? Either way, I will not be joining you." Dragonlord looks to the others. "I'm going to remain here, see if I can help coordinate the recovery effort. As much faith as I have in the Heroes, I don't think they're equipped to fend off two Dragons, not in the time we have left to prepare." "All the more reason to accept our aid. We know the skies like no other race, and we have weapons that are effective in disrupting the power of flight." "Like I said, it's up to them." "In more ways than one." Mallelio moves to the Heroes' side. "Either way, I will be joining the Heroes as well. If they do intend to stand up against two grown Dragons, they will need plenty of healing. That's the least I can provide for them, if they'll have me." Mallelio has joined the party! Stats coming in next party stats post. "Well, Heroes, what will it be? Speak quickly, I must make arrangements for your transport as soon as possible." What will the party decide? Is there anything else they would like to say to the people in the Palace before they depart?

Auto-save only caught a third--the part that was easy to re-create (quotes from the players). Yeah, the difference was about a line and a half.

Page randomly decided to reload, and I lost the entire post. Sorry 104, no update today. :mad:

Complex politics are complex. I do like that Mallelio is willing to talk about them, though--I was a little worried coming in that I'd have to have someone break character to explain some of the background information and details in that regard, but multiple re-reads through Quest 30 have shown me otherwise.

All right, who used the Amulet of Passive Aggression?

That's partially what Category pages are for--tomorrow I'll go through and add more categories as I can think of them, and start linking a few key ones on the front page. I'm also not sure if we really need separate pages for every single item--a page about Potions in general could cover most basic healing items (Grand Potion, Banana, Carrot, etc.), while more unique items or those with lots of lore behind them could get their own page (e.g. Ether Core, Zoot's Plaything, etc.). Thoughts? EDIT: Stupid mobile.

The pikeman opens his mouth to reply, but a slightly winded voice interrupts. "Let them in...they are Heroes, and invited guests of Emperor Septrine. Quickly, please, we are expected at the palace." The pikemen exchange glances, then the lighter-armored pikeman signals the gate to be opened. Behind it waits a gentle, green-garbed man with blonde hair, who gestures for the Heroes to follow him. Dragonlord immediately starts after the man, and the party is forced to come along if they wanted to keep up. The party passes through a plaza right next to the palace, and Dragonlord clears his throat expectantly. "Don't you think an introduction might be in order before we go inside?" The man stops and turns around nodding apologetically. "Forgive me, Heroes. There is much weighing on my mind presently. Dastan is in much danger, and as Head Cleric of Emperor Septrine it falls to me to heal our land's wounds. We are a tough nation, and a tough people, but I fear the injuries from a conflict between us and the Dragons will be great nonetheless. My name is Mallelio. Our princess had told us you would come down from the sky, so when word reached the palace of your ship's arrival I was sent to collect you." "Mallelio is well known to Heroica. A year and a half ago he risked his life to help a group of Heroes facing a grave threat stemming from beneath Heroica Hall itself. We owe him a lot." "It is I who am in Heroica's debt," Mallelio counters. "Three times Heroes have saved my life, and I cannot forget all they have done for Dastan in the past. I am relieved to see you here, for I believe you can do the same again." Mallelio walks across the plaza, gesturing to the entrance of the Palace just a few steps away. "There are many, but I have been instructed to bring you before Emperor Septrine immediately. If you require food or rest, however, it will be provided to you once we enter the palace. If there is anything else, it will have to wait until after this meeting." After a moment's thought, Mallelio produces a worn scrap of parchment and shows it to the Heroes. "This map is old and outdated, but as the construction in this district is incomplete, we have not had the opportunity to update it." The party sees that their current location is marked with a red X. The name 'Emeraldo' has been hastily crossed out and replaced with the name 'Phyllius', and the top portion of the line on the right dividing the city has been scribbled out as well. Is the party prepared to enter the palace and meet one of the Emperors of Dastan?

I've mostly been doing some behind-the-scenes management and looking at templates to modify for our uses. Also, Kinto, check your PM box.

QM Note: I almost always round up, so yes you will keep your 1 SP.

Nicole seems confused by Siercon's behavior. "A quiet machine that summons monsters...isn't that exactly what this is? I would not be comfortable recreating such a device--the risks of it falling into the wrong hands would be too great. I had heard that you Heroicans crave battle, but I did not realize...hmm. Perhaps, instead of a device, I can offer you something else to sate your needs?" Nicole opens her toolkit and produces a bottle of green liquid, which she gives to Siercon. Trial Brew - Halves the drinkers max HP, max ether, and max SP for the duration of one battle. These effects are irremediable. Surviving a battle without getting knocked out in this state nets you double EXP. Being revived after being knocked-out removes these effects. "As for pet-sized automatons, I'm afraid we do not manufacture anything of the sort...though it's not a bad idea..." Nicole trails off, lost in thought--it seems that inspiration is distracting. Shadow awkwardly mimics the gesture, clearly not understanding it but trying to figure it out nonetheless. "YOU ARE WEL-COME, AD-VANCED MO-DEL. I WILL AL-WAYS RE-MEM-BER YOUR AS-SIS-TANCE, AS LONG AS MY MEM-O-RY CIR-CUITS ARE IN-TACT." The airship descends rapidly, and the world seems to grow and expand as they fly lower and lower over the expansive desert kingdom, eventually setting down just south of the capital city of Drakencourt, where just a few years previously a great battle took place. (Thanks (and apologies! ) to Brickdoctor for these images I'm using. Ignore the troops in the hex map, they're not actually there anymore. ) Captain Fragle and the Stealth Shadow assist the Dragonlord and the Heroes in disembarking, before the Bostonius takes to the skies once more, her occupants waving to the Heroes as they recede into the distance. With little reason to linger and remembering the urgency of their mission, Dragonlord leads the party to the southernmost gates of the city. It seems that the party has arrived just before midday, as two different sets of guards seem to be changing shifts. "Halt, who goes there?" "State your business in the city of Drakencourt." How will the party respond?

You know, we should probably get that map from Quest 100 in the Library. Because reasons.

Didn't the final battle of Baltarok basically do just that with the positioning system? Didn't pretty much everyone find it frustrating and/or unfair at one point or another? Instead of punishing or discouraging Back Row use (which is easily and fairly enough done with Row-dependent and/or entire-row Specials), why not reward taking risks with the Front Row? The Fields do it via a special Glory Point challenge, surely we can come up with something similar related to our specific Quests' situations if we want a specific battle to encourage Front Row use.

QM Note: Sorry, folks. I found the pictures I needed, but it's waaaay too late for me to finish this update--this one's a doozy. Update in the morning as soon as I can!

Sorry, 104, managed to lose one of the pictures I thought I had. Once I find it, we can move forward.

"I'll second the request for a map. On the off chance Lupine isn't after your wine, what other valuables do you have that he might be after? A list would be most helpful."

My bad--it's [[actual link|text to display here]]. I am a little rusty, it seems.