JimBee

Gotcha, thanks. Does it count as an artifact, too?

Withdrawing his scythe from the Wood dragonling, Hybros felt encouraged at his ability to hold his own against the creatures and keeping up with the rest of the party. Hopping to the back row, Hybros flings his Banana Bladerang at the Earth Dragonling. He hoped it would boomerang through both enemies, as it was meant to do.

QM Note: We can just assume that you're mounted (the horse has infinite usage, correct?) before battle. While it doesn't make sense to have horse indoors, for example, I will allow it since it acts like an artifact. "You're asking the wrong person, Paladin. The last time any such mythical beast was seen in Dastan was many ages ago, so no one except perhaps any remaining decedents of the Dragon Knights would know. As for it being summoned... well, it's far-fetched to assume such a thing is even possible." QM Note: Now that everyone has checked in, I'm going to give until tomorrow for any other questions, etc. before we move on.

That doesn't make sense to me... if Rangers start out with the ability to talk to animals, how would they lose it? I mean, logically they wouldn't really forget but there I go again, trying to make sense of a fantasy game.

QM Note: No worries. Power fixed. "We do not know much else. I have never heard of such magic, but then they might just be a crazy bunch looking to stir up trouble. We do know that they are numerous, however, and could pose a threat if unchecked. There are rumors of kidnappings in this town, but they have not been confirmed by our spies, and we have determined that the cultists are responsible for missing persons. That is your job."

QM Note: Foog, I've fixed Galen's stats, but there was no extra venom in your inventory. Wait a minute, didn't you mention you were missing one?

Hybros wondered where all these dragons were coming from. He had not so much as seen a single dragon in his lifetime, yet he had seen seven within the last few hours. Could this dragon reproduce rapidly on its own? Thinking for a moment, Hybros pondered how his own people reproduced. Flashes of egg-like structures mounted on the rocky subterranean home of the imps entered his mind, memories buried deep within. This must have been how he was created. Strange, how something so plant-like and stationary could transform into a living, thinking animal. Focus. His mind had to be on the battle. Hybros drew Zoot's Reaper, and attacked the Wood Dragonling from the front row. It was the only enemy he could attack with his primary weapon, given its elemental properties.

Sounds like an interesting idea. Of course we (the hosts) can't force anyone to do anything, but certainly everything pertaining to one's quest will be mentioned in their own quest. So if you choose to do this you won't be missing anything necessary.

Emeraldo nods in greeting. "There are still a few dragons left, but they are rarely seen, let alone used for our armies. The Dragon Knights, the old warriors who tamed them, are all but gone. You'd be very fortunate to see a dragon during your stay here." "Our first task is to venture to the caves of that hill over there." Emeraldo pointed to what looked more like a mountain towering over the settlement. "Our spies have determined that there is a group of cultists hiding there. To our knowledge they are not allied with the rogue Lion Knights, but they cause trouble all the same. We believe they are trying to summon a mythical beast of sorts, a Chimera. A small faction is located in these caves, and while this may seem far fetched, we cannot risk any third-party threats within our borders during the war that is bound to happen." "However, you have one more among you who has yet to speak. When he and everyone else's questions are answered, we shall head out immediately."

"Apparently the rogue faction wishes to take back the portion of Dastan, and more, that was once the Lion Knights - I assume you've heard the legends. We don't have much information, only that their forces are building. We've had some small skirmishes but have been unable to pursue them without keeping our borders defended." "Rumors, but a sorceress named Wren is believed to be involved. Other than that we are unsure."

Oh. I always get Mystic Knight and Battle Mage mixed up.

As a Battle Mage, Nyx can definitely equip a shield.

Once, the lands of Dastan made up two nations: the Kingdom of the Lion, and the Empire of the Dragon. The Empire was the larger of the two, and its people were famed breeders of dragons. The Kingdom, in stark contrast, was composed of peasants, experts in agriculture, but not in the art of war. Through a series of border skirmishes, the dragon riders of the Empire had driven the Lions back to the arid mountains of Northern Dastan. Magical talent was rare in the Kingdom of the Lion, so most of the peasants dismissed the work of mages as folly. But when one of the mages, striving to transform readily available Mopag Torturous Fruit into a suitable replacement for applesauce and sausages, accidentally created a beast of myth - a chimera - word got around quickly. Raising an army, the Lion's King marched on the Empire, overcoming all resistance and finally camping his army in the plains. With the mage at his side and the chimera in the mountains, he prepared to invade the Empire's capital. With little other choice, the Dragon's Emperor deployed the Dragon Knights - an organized force of professional soldiers - in numbers such as Imperial Dastan has never seen before or since. While dragons kept the chimera busy, the Dragon Knights punched a hole in the Lion's front lines. As his men split the Kingdom's forces in two, the commander of the Dragon Knights, after a short duel, killed the Lion's King. Without their commander, the Lions panicked, and what was a battle turned into a slaughter. The mage fell to a Dragon's spear and the chimera, without the support of its creator, was overcome by the flames of the dragons. The remnants of the Lion Army were rounded up and, together with the peasants who had stayed behind in the Kingdom, were exiled from Dastan. The Empire absorbed what was left of the Kingdom, and began to reorganize itself into the Empire of Dastan, ruled by a triumvirate of emperors. From generation to generation, the three crowns were passed down. The land, although physically poor, prospered with the three emperors ruling in unison for many years. However, evil is now at it's peak, threatening to destroy what has been built up over time. A large enemy force, whose masterminds remain hidden in shadow, attempts to overthrow the empire. Dastan and its people are in peril, and the three emperors call for the aid of Heroica.... *** Six chosen heroes ride across the Crystalline Sea on a ship crewed by sailors from Dastan, and from there take horse-drawn carts to the outskirts of the empire. The journey is long, and as the heroes travel they can feel the wind becomes stronger, and the green trees and endless plains slowly disappear to a dull environment. The terrain becomes rocky, void of most plant life. Plateaus cover the horizon, and the journey is uneventful. Finally, the heroes arrive at their destination in the wasteland, a small settlement nestled between two large, rocky hills. They dismount the carriages, and are greeted by a middle-aged, finely dressed man and his entourage, a group of mixed warriors and bodyguards all dressed in green uniforms. "Heroes of Eubric, welcome to Dastan. As you may have guessed, I am one of the three emperors here, Roland Emeraldo. I am very pleased you have come. As you have been informed of, our empire is in peril. A rogue faction of an organization known as the Lion Knights has prepared an invasion. We also believe that one or more other parties are aiding them. Our troops are fully prepared to do battle, but we will need the help of you heroes to assist in more subtle tasks, including finding more about who our enemy is, exactly, as well as aiding our troops. I assume you are all up to the task since you traveled so far to get here already, for which we are all most appreciative. However, I am sure that I have not explained everything to your liking - for that I apologize, but you see time is of the essence here. If you have any questions, ask now. We will be setting out on our first task shortly." The Party: Nerwen Calmcacil (played by Chromeknight) Level 6 Cleric Power: 12 Health: 13/13 Ether: 10/10 Gold: 25 Inventory: Peace (Hammer, WP: 6), Wooden Staff (WP:3), Bedroll, Shovel, Potion, 2x Tonic, Remedy, 2x Nostrum, Fire Bomb, Elixir, Grand Tonic De'kra (played by Tanma) Level 13 Rogue Power: 18 Health: 19/19 Gold: 24 Inventory: Kapura (WP:5, Fire), Pongcanis Dagger (WP:5, Lightning), Shadeaux Dagger (WP:5), Fauxthril Hand Cannon (WP:5, unsuitable), Cloak of the Blue Assassin(SP: 1), Cloak of the Elven Spy, Bedroll, Pickaxe, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Venom, 6x Potion, 2x Remedy, 2x Ice Bomb, Water Bomb, Smoke Bomb, Phoenix Essence Galen Woodward (played by Fugazi) Level 6 Rogue Power: 11 Health: 12/12 Gold: 0 Inventory: Sword of Bashing (WP: 5), Throwing Dagger (WP:4), 2x Potion, Remedy, Venom, Smoke Bomb, Ice Bomb, Bedroll Sarick Lanse (played by Xarrzan) *Party Leader* Level 7 Mage Power: 13 Health: 11/11 Ether: 11/11 Gold: 0 Inventory: Dragon's Wrath (Staff WP: 6), Healing Staff (WP:5, healing effect), Opal(Ice), Topaz(Lightning) Potion, Tonic, Phoenix Essence, Nostrum Cronk (played by CorneliusMurdock) Level 18 Paladin Power: 30 SP: 9 Health: 38/38 Ether: 19/19 Gold: 30 Inventory: Zoot's Bane (WP:12, Light), Healing Staff (WP:5 Healing effect), Sword of Bashing (WP:5, Ice), Bloody Pointy Stick (WP:1), Ennoc's Blessing (Shield, SP:7), Elaborate Helmet (SP:2), 2x Potion, Holy Bomb, Phoenix Essence, Bedroll, Paralyzing Venom, Blacksmith Writ Xander Unth'or (played by posades) Level 12 Barbarian Power: 20 Health: 19/19 Gold: 280 Inventory: Pongcanis Club (WP: 8), Enigmatic Hammer (WP: 3), Robe of the Pongcanis Champion (WP: 1 Front Row)(SP: 1 Back Row), Potion (2), Grand Potion, Phoenix Essence, Horse, Fire Bomb, Skeleton Decoy, Venom, Elven Bomb QM Note: Welcome, please check your stats. Posades, could you please explain what the horse does, as well as the Robe of the Pongcanis Champion? Does it add WP/SP depending on your row?

Congrats to the winners! This was an awesome contest and I'm glad to have participated. It was really neat seeing so many unique locations from all around the world. Thanks to Rufus and all the staff for putting this together!

An ambassador dressed in green approaches the quest board, pinning the chosen heroes for Quest 29. Heroes Chosen for Quest #29: Journey to Dastan: Nerwen, Level 6 Cleric (Chromeknight) De'kra, Level 13 Rogue (Tanma) Galen Woodward, Level 6 Rogue (Fugazi) Sarick Lanse, Level 7 Mage (Xarrzan) *Party Leader* Cronk, Level 18 Paladin (CorneliusMurdock) Xander Unth'or, Level 12 Barbarian (posades) Please make any last minute preparations. The quest will begin in about 24 hours.

The dragon just wouldn't give up. Hybros braced himself again as he downed another set of Mead, Nostrum, and Smelling Salts, and prepared for another attack while the dragon recovered. It was a truly formidable enemy, but Hybros pondered its purpose. A creature so ancient and wise should not be so enraged, giving him and the other heroes no choice but to kill it.

Congrats Erdy, I know you will do well in this position. And I'm glad the staff figured out what to do in the apparent absence of our other SW mods and KimT's recent retirement. A well-needed reassignment.

Quickly, while Knifk protected the party with his shield, Hybros went in for the kill and attacked the head twice form the front row.

I'm not offended that you would dislike Pokemon or anything else, I just figured it was worth pointing out that your request was too late. As for the confused effect, it makes sense to me if an enemy was in an altered state, that they'd end up hurting themselves. And as for this game making sense - you do realize that dragons, mages, and pirate robots don't exist, right?

Well Pokemon is an RPG, so it does follow the formula for that type of game (as does Heroica). There are many similarities between the battle system of Heroica and of Pokemon, Final Fantasy, etc. to begin with.

Hybros considered Alf's strategy for a moment. He was right, perhaps if they focused on the head the battle would be easier. "Maybe if the bard sung Fastest Flight we could all target the head with one turn, and another body part with another... or focus all of our strength on the head in hopes of defeating it right away, hehe... What do you think, Knifk?" Hybros attacks the left claw and then the head of the dragon with Zoot's Reaper, from the front row. If Knifk wishes it, Hybros will attack the head with both turns instead.

"Sounds foolish to me... who will take care of the other body parts to prevent them from hitting us? No, I'll attack the left claw." Hybros brandishes Zoot's Reaper and attacks from the front row with both of his turns.

The quick victory was satisfying to say the least. To prepare for the next battle, Hybros first downed a potion and then another set of Smelling Salts, Mead, and Nostrum. He fell to his knees at the effects, with the previous drinks just barely wearing off. He never drank the human beverages that seemed to delight them so, tempt them into drunken stupors, and perhaps he would need to cut back on these enhancing drinks before he got sick...

3) 1 point 6) 2 points 8) 1 point 13) 3 points