Flipz

--befriend the immortal god of Chaos? ...crap, now I really want to see Annie meet Zane. I miss Heckz... He owes me a Bright Polish and an Artifact in exchange for my Weatherfax Broom and 50 gold.

"Fairly well. Though I am still waiting on a portion of his payment. His associate, U'Or, seemed to have misplaced it, but he did promise to send it to me by Z-mail once it was found." Arthur smirks at the mention of Scrolls. "I shall never be rid of that association, will I? Actually, I do happen to have a spare Scroll of Elemental Aura on me. I was planning to give it to Noel as a late Grogmas present, but turns out the little scamp already had one, buried amidst the detritus of an uncleaned room." He shakes his head. "I swear, that kid might have the most powerful collection of magical artifacts in all of Uland--if he'd only tidy things up enough to actually find them," he adds jokingly. "Hmm...well, if you're interested, I'd be willing to trade it to you for some Marketplace work. If you could take the Sapphire out of my Spider Leg spear and replace it with my Ethereal Sapphire, and do the same with the Garnet in Sven's Dagger and my Ethereal Garnet, the Scroll's yours." Actually, speaking of said Scroll, has anyone seen Thalion? I promised to pick him something up in Etheria in exchange for his help before we left, but I haven't run into him in the few months we've been back. This other Scroll of Elemental Aura is his, if someone's willing to hang onto it for me." "<Hmm.>" Though her gaze is impassive, those who know her best can sense her dissatisfaction with such a succinct answer. "<Is that all there was to him? A vengeful tyrant with thought only for bloodshed? It seems...disappointingly simple.>" Miirym pauses, brooding, while Vindsval speaks. Arthur nods quietly. "Vindsval," he acknowledges. "And actually, Skrall, it's Arthur Ziegfried, now. I, uh, learned some things about my heritage last year." "<Mistress,>" Miirym helpfully supplies. "<And speaking of heritage...I don't suppose either of you would know anything about a Dragon named Lethauros? From what little I can tell, he was something of a huge, powerful dork. I must wonder how that led to his demise.>" Arthur turns his head at the sound of the shout and smiles. "Hello, Nerwen!" he calls with a wave. It takes him a little while longer to place the voice he'd heard, but finally it clicks in. "My goodness, Miss Nastayo? I don't think I've seen you since the Foundation Day fiasco, with Grimwald and Arnulf. Heroica certainly seems to have treated you well since then, hasn't it?"

Pie's idea seems like how it actually happens, to be honest. That said, I do have my own process: 1. Come up with an idea. Sometimes it's a character, sometimes a plot, sometimes a moment or story beat, but whatever it is, it needs to be specific. 2. Come up with more ideas. While some QMs are more than capable of spinning a single idea into an entire Quest, I personally learned on 118 that one or two core concepts were not enough material on their own for me to weave together a satisfying narrative, especially when said concept(s) are somewhat vague. 3. Research. Of the time I've spent on my next two Quests, a good third of it or more has been spent researching what has and hasn't been established about the characters and locations I'm planning to use. This research will usually generate at least a few ideas that can supplement the ones you're already using, which is important for the next step. This is an ongoing process, one that can end up altering things later down the line as game elements are introduced and altered. 4. Assemble. Basically, I plonk down all my ideas, sit down, and figure out where and how they'll connect. "Okay, I want Character X in Location Y. How do I accomplish that...maybe I can put Motivation Z there? Yeah, that makes sense, since Quest AB said that Character C was last seen in Location D, and I already have plans to emphasize the connection between Group E there and Organization F in Location Y. Perfect, let's write that down." ...okay, usually I use WAY more unreadable shorthand than that. But yeah, usually it consists of me connecting two or three ideas in little chunks, and then tying those chunks together in turn until everything fits. 5. Initial Approval. This is usually when I PM Sandy and ask if my idea will work or if I'm stepping on his toes/creating an idea that just completely won't work. Better to do this now than later after doing all the work on the outline. 6. Outline. I have a specific format that I use that helps me a LOT in keeping my thought process intact even weeks and months later: I find that this format helps me remember not only what I'm planning, but why I made that specific choice. Once I finish, I'll usually go through it with a player's eye and try to find moments where I'd feel controlled or cheated, or otherwise unhappy with the Quest. 7. Setbuilding. Or in my case, begging people to help me with sets (). This is an ongoing process that can change other, previously-established things; if I'm figbarfing an NPC and a better design with a different character than intended pops up, I may alter other elements to use this new design and attitude instead. 8. Alteration. Once I have some idea of what I want, I'll start making the rounds of asking other QMs for permission and/or advice on using their characters, especially if I've heard their own Quests will be operating in the same area. Having learned from the insanity of the late-stage rewrites of 104, I now tend to do this before launching the Quest. This is also another good opportunity for a "would I as a player like this?" pass. 9. Population. I've usually figured out where my battles will be in the Quest as early as the initial outline, as well as a general idea of what enemies will show up and the general sort of loot I want them to drop; now is when I start assigning specifics. I don't do specific stats, though, that's saved for post-launch. 10. Pitch & Post. This is self-explanatory; I send Sandy my final pitch, then wait for a post and the sign-ups. 11. Customization. Once I see who's signing up, I do another pass to try and sprinkle in elements that will resonate strongly with the characters I'm planning to pick; I'll also start assigning specific stats for some of the earlier battles. 12. Launch. This is probably the least fun parts; gathering everyone's stat blocks and then fixing/reformatting them into usability. Ick. Once that's done, I'll write up the opening, post, and start running the Quest. 13. First Battle. The first battle in any of my Quests is a very important one; it's my opportunity to watch the players and see how this party works together both mechanically and socially. It's very easy to see in most first battles who's going to hit hardest, who's going to go down, who's going to be overshadowed, what the holes are in party composition, what the holes are in individual PC loadouts, how hard the party normally hits, how they prioritize enemies, etc. etc. etc. I alter a LOT of details based on how the first battle goes, as 141 showed pretty clearly. 14. Adjustment. As stated, once the first battle's done, I'll go through and make a bunch more alterations to account for the specific situation in the party, and from there continue to tweak as necessary. 15. Run. And hopefully survive, but usually not. Anyway, that's just how I do it, not everyone's going to have success doing it my way, obviously. Please do! I would be all for that. I'm always happy to look over others' planned battles and offer advice/suggestions if you want it.

"Pretzel, good to see you again! Yes, we had left Heroica for a time, but it seems life has led us back. We actually spent half a year traveling around the world with Gerald Guffington, from Dastan to Xu to Etheria. It was quite the journey, and we were both glad to get back home, especially with how...unusual Etheria was." Miirym cocks her head. "<Vorpalis was complex? How so? What sort of a being was he?>"

"I'm...aware, yes. Acutely so, actually. His...name...came up while Miirym and I were in Etheria, along with that of Lethauros. So Miirym's following it up on that now. I'd say more, but I'm not sure it's my place to--" "Skrall, good to see you again! How long has it been, since Xu I'd wager? As it turns out, Miirym and I needed to come back here to investigate--" Nearby, Miirym closes in on her quarry, a scent she'd smelled somewhat soon before, intermingled with one she'd known a long time past. For a while she is distracted by a similar smell, emanating from the Dwarf Throlar, but she soon sees nothing upon him that would serve as its source, then senses the scent is not quite the same and continues on. At last she reaches its source: the Ogre Skrall, who conveniently enough has just settled down next to Arthur. She stares for a moment at the Hunter with beady eyes, before carefully framing her speech. "<Hello, Skrall. It has been some time since our paths last crossed. Might I ask you about that talisman you currently wear?>"

To continue the cell phone metaphor, I imagine Arthur's on the Family Plan. I am having way too much fun with this. Lind wasn't exactly the best Questmate in 103, and then on 139 Arthur learned he beat up someone Arthur now considers a close friend. Generally, hurting people Arthur cares about is a really quick way to gain Infamy with sour a relationship with Arthur.

I am really committed to the whole "adults use Z-mail like email, kids use Z-mail like texting" metaphor.

"Ha! Easier said than done. He's grown up so fast, if it weren't for Miirym and my helmet he'd probably be smacking me around. Hard to believe he's already seventeen...he'll be getting his hat any day now. Hopefully Mom will wait for me to be around when it happens. Speaking of Mom, I'd better write her a Z-Mail and let her know what's happening..." The Dragoon pulls out a sheet of pink parchment and a quill and starts writing. It's all Arthur can do to suppress a groan at the mention of Lind. "Well...I guess four out of five isn't bad. And glad to hear Thormanil and Arx are still active, if Miirym's going to be a Hero it'll be good for her to spend some time around the two of them." Arthur finishes his letter with a flourish and murmurs the standard "I've got Z-Mail." Less than a minute later, a sealed pink envelope appears... "...Well...looks like that news went over well..."

I could have sworn I'd seen WBD post as him recently...maybe the retcon cannon needs to start further back than just my post? On the plus side, once he gets back Miirym can talk to him, and Arthur can give Thalion his Scroll.

...why did I think Skrall was already in the Hall?

"I think you're underestimating how bad your timing was. The mansion gets attacked by a Guild-grown Triffid, and later that same day you jump ship? Not that I blame you for not wanting to side with Sungold, but you have to see how bad it looks for an undead necromancer, one who's one of the family's closest friends, to suddenly side with the Guild so soon after that incident." Arthur shrugs. "If it makes you feel any better, Noel doesn't blame you--Hel, he'd probably ask you to move in, mood he's in. Kid's gotten a hankering for power and an even bigger rebellious streak ever since Sungold shot down his application for Kingship. Mom's still grateful for you saving Noel, too, but you know. Appearances." The ex-Mage shrugs helplessly. "So, a new Mage, eh? Swear they get smaller every year... Hmm...Immortalis? Strange name. Not the Dragon we're looking for, but thanks for the tip. Out of curiosity, do you know who went on that Quest?" ------------------------------------------

With a quick glance at Miirym, Arthur makes his way over to the Necromancer. "Hey, Sorrow. Sorry I haven't been in touch for so long, first we were traveling around the world with Gerald Guffington, and then afterwards, well..." At Arthur's hesitation, Miirym takes over. "<I would firmly advise you not visit our home. It would...not end in your favor.>" Arthur grudgingly nods his confirmation. "<As to the why of our return,>" Miirym continues, "<I am seeking information on a pair of Dragons faced by members of this Hall. Vorpalis and Lethauros. I do not suppose you would recall any Heroes who faced them?>" Miirym's nostrils flare as a strange scent catches her attention. "<Actually, if you would excuse me a moment...>" she says, and gingerly begins threading her way past tables in pursuit. Arthur watches her go with concern, but resists the urge to follow after her. He sighs. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd be back under this roof again. Thought I'd pretty much settled things, but apparently life had other plans." The Dragoon grimaces. "Or at least, the Veterans did. But anyway, how's necromancy been treating you? Anything interesting happen around the Hall?"

In fairness, only Mages can create Ethereal Diamond/Amethyst, and for once those gems seem to be in short supply. *sigh* I understand trying to keep it balanced, it's just more than a little frustrating to have over a month's planning and deals all fall through at the last minute. I could have saved myself a lot of stressing over resources if I'd known ahead of time. At the very least, can Ethereal Gems in Artifacts not be limited? I don't see how it'd be all that different than all the other Artifacts players have built up over the years that are immune to a bunch of elements and a bunch of effects as well.

Could it pretty pretty please be 2 Ethereal Gems per weapon? That seems like a fair compromise between effort/resources spent on the gems and not being completely OP.

Eubric, Number 14 Heron St. "Arrrgh!" Noel growls as his legs go out from under him for the third time. He hits the ground hard, but the only thing injured is his pride. "How are you doing that?" "Practice," Arthur replies, stowing his spear and offering his brother a hand to his feet. "Again?" Noel waves him off, the seventeen-year-old mage dusting himself off as he climbs back to his feet. "Nah, I'm good." Both brothers lean against the wall of the mist-filled basement, sweating profusely. Noel sweeps his ever-present bangs out of his face, but the sweat-slicked hair just flops back into place. "I don't get it," he complains. "This should be easy. What gives?" "You're trying too hard." Arthur tries not to let his amusement show, be he can't help the small smile that slips onto his face. "You're missing the whole point of the exercise." "Mind running that one by me again, bro?" "You keep lashing out randomly, expecting chance to mold itself to your whim. It won't happen, no matter how much you learn." "So what's the point of all this?" Arthur puts his hand to his chin, considering how he ought to explain. Miirym alights nearby, for now keeping her elemental breath to a light wisp so as to let the room start to clear. "The point is to shift your focus. You can't just attack nothing and expect to hit, you have to adapt yourself to the conditions and consider how to make them serve your goals." Noel nods along intently, as if he understands. Miirym snorts. "<You are a clever mage, Noel Ziegfried, but unskilled in the art of deception.>" "You saying you're better?" "Settle down, you two," the Dragoon warns. "Look. When you came to me asking about Chaos, I figured you were looking for the same thing pretty much everyone who starts to dabble ends up looking for: power. And yes, Chaos is powerful. But it's not this miraculous rule-breaking power pool that lets you re-write fate. If anything, it's the opposite." "At the risk of repeating myself...so what's the point? If you're not gonna teach me to cast chaos--" Arthur shakes his head and waves his arms to cut off Noel's train of thought. "You're still missing the point. Chaos isn't like reading from a Scroll or shooting Ether through a gem. It's not a magical 'thing', it's a way of existence. It's not about changing how events happen, it's about changing your response to events so that any event, no matter how unexpected, ends up helping you in the end." "...man, that doesn't sound simple at all." Arthur does laugh this time. "It's not. If you're looking for quick and easy power, go buy yourself a Mead." Noel lobs a Sapphire at him, but the ex-mage easily catches the half-hearted throw. "Hey, watch it, these things cost me a small fortune in Etheria." A knock at the door interrupts them. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" "Nah, no big, Auntie M." The jovial presence of Merryweather Ziegfried sweeps into the room, the Weather Mage momentarily taken aback by the still-clearing haze. "My goodness, what have you boys been getting up to? If I didn't know better I'd say my nephew had decided to take up his old profession." "Hello, Aunt Merryweather. Well, Bombast did offer to try and train Miirym, but she turned him down." "<Indeed. The offer was generous, and tempting, but there are more important matters to investigate here.>" "Shame. Would have been interesting to have a Dragon in the circle. But, important matters are important matters..." "Speaking of which..." Arthur's mood grows serious. "Were you able to find the records we were looking for?" Merryweather nods glumly. "I'm afraid there's not much. They seemed to stay involved more in matters of myth than in magic. The closest other library with records going back that far is in--" "--Heroica Hall," Arthur finishes for her. Merryweather nods in confirmation. "Besides, they were the last people to see them alive..." Arthur exhales heavily. Miirym trots over to stare into her partner's eyes. "<Arthur...I know you have your disagreements with the management of the Hall. But this...is important to me.>" Arthur seems to be struggling to say something, but can't quite find the words. "Miirym, I...I know. I understand. More than you'd think." Miirym sees him glance at Noel. "I don't know where I'd be right now if I'd never met my family." "<But...?>" "But I'm a little worried about what we'll find. They...weren't exactly the most friendly of spirits." Miirym considers this for a moment. "<Arthur...>" "Look," Noel interrupts, causing both Arthur and Miirym to jump, "obviously this means a lot to you. I know what it's like not knowing your father. If learning about him will make you feel better, then tell my know-it-all brother to nut up and help you find out already!" Noel punctuates his point by staring pointedly at an uncomfortable Arthur. "<...Well. I believe that settles that, does it not?>" Arthur slowly nods, packing up his gear. As he and Miirym are about to leave, however, Merryweather stops them. "Mind the weather, you two. I've seldom seen a storm so strange--it's as if it wants to roll in and dissipate at the same time. It's not natural, that's for certain. Stay safe." Arthur silently nods in acknowledgement. Miirym, too, dips her head. "<Your warning is well appreciated, Miss Merryweather.>" "That's Aunt Merryweather to you, missy. And I'm no Sister of Danab, mind." With another, more sheepish nod, Miirym follows Arthur out of the house, and soon takes the lead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is not long before the Dragon and her partner reach the great hallmark of Heroica, but already she could spot delays approaching, in the form of two Veterans approaching from different vectors. With a snort of annoyance, the Dragon alters her descent, swooping in for a landing in front of Arthur just in time for the Falconer and the Dragonlord to arrive. "Ah, Mr. Regulus, just the man I've been hoping to see--ah. Hello Falconer, wasn't expecting you here." "Weren't you?" Falconer asks politely. Unusually so, it seemed to Miirym, but she did not have a human's perspective. "I was just coming to ask Mr. Ziegfried if he might reconsider his decision to leave our organization." Dragonlord clears his throat uncomfortably. "Mr. Ziegfried. Right." This time Miirym could easily detect the Veteran's displeasure. Undeterred, however, he continued on. "I was actually about to ask him the same thing. In these divided times, it's important that Heroica remain united." "Yes, I certainly agree. And having a representative of one of Eubric's most time-honoured Houses in Heroica will do much to reinforce our relations with them." "Yes, especially one who has so so faithfully served the Houses across the aisle. You know, Arthur, just the other day I had a discussion with Noctus and Jun about your service in--" At last Miirym sees the exchange for what it had really been all along: two hatchlings, struggling back-and-forth over a slab of meat. Her nostrils flare as thick black fog flows out of them, swirling aggressively as she fans her wings and rears back on her hind legs. "<Enough!>" Miirym declares. "<I will not have my mission delayed by petty squabbles over pointless politics. My father left your organization for a reason, and I will not see him bullied back into it!>" Falconer seems taken aback, though the effect is difficult to notice behind her mask. "No, no, I would never--" "Miirym, you've known me from the moment you hatched, you wouldn't really think--" Miirym waves both off. "<It is not your intentions that matter here, but your actions. Now, Arthur and I are here to seek information from your Library on the Dragon who sired me. You will stand aside and allow me access.>" Hestia hesitates, but Dragonlord stands firm. "Look, I really don't mean to exclude the two you, but we really do need to talk to Arthur. If he really won't rejoin, I can understand, but if he's going to start poaching our missions we really can't--" Miirym snorts and rolls her eyes. "<Mortals. Very well. If one of us must be a Hero to gain access, then I will join.>" "In name only," Arthur quickly amends. "I won't have anything to do with those protective spells of yours." To Miirym's eye, the ex-mage appears troubled, yet strangely happy. "<Indeed,>" Miirym quickly confirms. Falconer studies the pair with concern. "Are you certain? I will not accept the idea of Heroes being press-ganged into service--" Dragonlord quickly waves the Falconer off, to the latter's annoyance. "It's fine, it's fine. I know Miirym. She liked being a Hero. Right, Miirym?" "<...It is true.>" "Wonderful! Well, in that case, welcome back to Heroica, both of you! I'm sure you'll find the Hall just as you left it. Anyway, I do have important business to attend to, so if you'll excuse me, Arthur, Falconer." "Dragonlord." Falconer watches her fellow Veteran depart. She studies Miirym once more. "Good luck." And then she is gone as well. Miirym returns her attention to Arthur. "<Are you all right?>" "Me? Are you all right?" "<I am fine. I did not lie in saying I've enjoyed my experience in Heroica. Had our current circumstance not arisen, I likely would have asked to rejoin in a few years.>" Miirym pauses. "<I am more concerned with you. You are the one who decided to leave. Are you not...disappointed at having to rejoin?>" Arthur shakes his head. "No. Well...a little. I did like spending more time with our family, especially after our little 'vacation' between Summer's Sun and Grogmas. But I left for your sake, to keep you safe, so I could focus on you instead of what missions I wanted to choose, which weapons I wanted to have honed next. I think we both know how badly I neglected you on our voyage around the world." "<Do not be ridiculous. You've given me the space I've needed in order to grow. And now it seems we will be getting more such opportunities.>" Arthur sighs, but then slowly nods his consent. "All right. If you're really okay with this." "<I am.>" "Then let's go be Heroes." And with that, the pair step back into the history of Heroica Hall.

Hey, Zeph, minor question, did we get a full level from that final battle or just normal experience? I'm trying to get all my stats in order and I've lost the post where you stated it.

I actually like mono-Dark weapons along with mono-Light; there's more than a few Dark/Beast or Ethereal/Humanoid types out there, and that'll eat into your multipliers (particularly on Zepher quests). Zeph also likes his humanoid enemies being immune to Fire and Ice a lot (as in *immune to Fire*), so splitting up your combos helps keep you from being stonewalled quite so hard. Emerald is probably the worst elemental type in the game; it has two elemental strengths that fail to complement each other (Emerald/Topaz would do okay on Aquatic if it weren't for all the Aquatic Vermin, and Emerald/Aquamarine gives you 4x on Rock but then negates Emerald's other elemental strength), and it has two extremely common weaknesses that quickly nullify most of the advantage you'll get out of it. I legitimately can't think of a circumstance where I'd put an emerald into a weapon and be happy with the decision, at best it's a strong roleplaying element for Mages' Spellcasting ability (vine ladders, trees for climbing/cover, growing crops to make NPCs like you, etc.).

It depends on what you want to do. In my case, I've built separate weapons that specialize in damage against specific types of enemies (my 4x vs Humanoids, my 8x vs Flying, etc.), but there's also such a thing as a general-purpose weapon, where you sometimes sacrifice a 2x or 4x against a certain enemy type in order to be able to hit more different types of enemies (For example, putting a Ruby into a weapon with an Aquamarine sacrifices the 2x against Fiery and Rock, but gives you all of the additional effectiveness of the Ruby while still letting you hit Fiery and Rock for neutral damage). Numerically, Opal-Topaz hits the most types super-effective for the least number of ineffective types (6 super-effectives vs. 2 ineffectives) out of any two-gem combo, and Icy and Electric are still among the least common enemy types, but with Aquatic and Mechanical enemies becoming increasingly scarce the overall meta has switched over to Opal-Ruby, which gets 4x on Beasts and Plants and 2x on Vermin while eliminating the Icy weakness entirely. To that combo I'd personally add either an Aquamarine (to, as said before, turn the Fiery and Rock weaknesses neutral in exchange for a single Aquatic weakness) or a Garnet (which also neutralizes the Firey weakness, but doubles down on Rock while gaining a Flying weakness, in exchange for making Icy an x2 again and getting a 2x on Electric). Again, though, it does depend on the weapon and the rest of your loadout; while normally I'd lean towards Opal-Ruby-Aquamarine just because of how I prioritize my effectiveness, once I buy the Frozen Halberd off of Guts I'll imbue it with Opal, Ruby, and Garnet, because a.) it already has a 0x against rock from the weapon itself, so I'm not losing anything there by putting in the Ruby and Garnet, and b.) I already have a weapon that lets me deal with Flying-types, so the Icy Halberd being unable to hit them is not a problem for me. Ultimately, you have to tailor your specific weapons to your specific needs.

"Again, thank you for your assistance, Forge Master. Melquiades, please take Miirym and me to the rest of the party." Once with the rest of the party again, Arthur approaches U'Or and Elba. "I believe that it is time Miirym and I return to Eubric. We are ready when you are." Arthur turns to the rest of the party. "It has been a pleasure to Quest with you all. I hope our paths cross again sometime in the city." Miirym inclies her head in support of Arthur's statement, but is not initially inclined to add anything to it. She does, however saunter past Chauncey, murmuring quietly to the Evoker. "<You have been a worthy ally, so I will share with you my advice: be sure to visit the Forge Master before we depart, the improvements he can make to your gems are not insignificant.>" Miirym dips her head slightly before addressing the expedition as a whole. "<This has been a most informative experience. I hope that one day we may fight alongside one another once more.>" With this, the Dragon spreads her wings and leaps over everyone's heads to alight next to Arthur once more.

OOC: As far as the latter, Zeph already said the effects transfer to imbuements. Arthur hands over the gold for the Agni Bomb. "Thank you again, Zeus. I'm going to miss you and your shop once I get back to Eubric. Melquiades, I need you to take me to the Forge one more time." "Sorry to bother you again, Forge Master, but I think I'd like to convert my own Opal to an Ethereal Opal." Once in battle, Arthur immediately throws his newly-purchased Agni Bomb.

...for half a second my brain thought you searched "Scroll" in the search engine and all of the results were me.

OOC: Zeph, if I could get an answer from Zeus on the bomb so I can convert my Opal, it'd be very much appreciated, as well as the quotes on the Cape for Hybros. (As mentioned in General Discussion, I can't seem to find the Scroll of Cursing I thought existed. )

EDIT: looks like I was misremembering, unless it's shown up in one of the more recent Quests. The page was last edited in December, so it's possible...did I see such a thing or am I misremembering? Does anyone else remember a Scroll of Cursing being dropped or made available in a shop?

I legitimately don't remember if a Scroll of Cursing has been dropped before, I seem to remember it happening but for the life of me I can't find it. ...wait, we have a wiki page on this, lemme go check...

It's not an elemental immunity. The artifact isn't immune to Darkness-elemental damage, it's immune to Dark-type enemies. A Mage with an Amethyst can damage someone wearing the suit just fine.