Sandy

You can now finally start choosing your side, as the topics for the Sungold Alliance and the Crescent Union are up. There will be a separate topic for the Wolf King's Followers, but since the aftermath of Quest#135 will greatly affect it, I can't post it up yet. It will also work somewhat differently from the other two, since obviously that faction already has a candidate for a king. Those joining that faction will also not lose any reputation among the other Houses.

~This topic is for in-character interaction only, and only open to those joining the faction. Questions and out-of-character discussion should be posted into the General Discussion topic.~ PROGRESS. CREATION. LIBERTY. On a late summer's night, a secret assembly took place in the Chateau de Shadeaux, located high on top of the Crescent Hill. Count Noctus Shadeaux had heard that his rival merchant, Heinrich Hinckwell, had formed an alliance earlier that day, and thus summoned those great houses that had been left on the outs into his mansion: the Ji Pei, foreign ambassadors and innovators, and the Guild of Invision, alchemists that dominated the potion business in the city. To counter their rivals, the Shadeaux, the Ji Pei and the Guild of Invision put together the Crescent Union, as it would later be called, during that night. "It is insulting zat 'Einrich does not deem us worzy ouf zoining 'is effourts tu regain 'old ouf zis city!" "But Count Shadeaux, we are as much of a threat to him and his allies as the Wolfgang. Surely you understand that. Look at us; a true menagerie of foreigners and minority races." "Hmmm, yes. We have all changed this city in our own way too, we have." "U'lalah ith right; only ve knov vhat vreedom truly meanth! It ith conthant change and adaptation! Eubric cannot remain vree in the handth ov Volvgang nor thith Thungold Allianthe!" "Exactement! Zat is why we 'ave to create an opposing force, one to be reckoned wiz! We must give zis city a ruleur who can truly change it four ze betteur." "But who would be such a leader? I would say you are a force to be reckoned with, Umbra. With your cunning and determination, nothing could stand in our way." "Do not sell yourself short, my son. You are wise beyond your years, and your military training will be desperately needed in the times to come." "I agree with your mother, Jun. You would make a fine king for us, and make Eubric a close ally with the mighty Xu." "What about our Guildmaster, hmmm? The Masked Man has been around for centuries, and with his mastermind at our helm, nothing would stand in our way." "Speculation is worthless. We need to see which one among us is the most popular - that is the only way to beat Ulric to the throne. I say we do as the others did and call the Heroicans to join us. They are not always trustworthy, but if we can convince those most loyal to our cause to spread the word, we could win over the common folk's favor." "Zo, we shall leave it tu 'Eroica tu decide who becomes our noble ruler, n'est-ce pas?" All three families agreed to this, and thus choice members of Heroica were sent letters to invite them into the Crescent Union. JOINING THE CRESCENT UNION: ~ If a player character has reputation with the Shadeaux, the Ji Pei or the Guild of Invision, they can opt to join the Crescent Union by posting a "letter" where he or she expresses their will to this topic. ~ Once the character has joined, they will lose all reputation with the Hinckwells, the Bonapartes and the Ziegfrieds, including access to the expert job classes those Houses offer. Reputation with the Wolfgang is not affected. ~ If at any point the character wants to quit the Crescent Union, they will lose all reputation among the three Houses in it as well. ~ By joining the faction, the player character has access to the faction-specific shop, as well as any future events held by the faction. ~ Some future quests will be geared towards a certain faction, while members of the opposing faction may be locked out of them. So please consider your options before joining! MEMBERS: Atramor Gibbin (CallMePie) Boris Bruhalv (Waterbrick Down) The Demon Germ (samuraiturtle) Dyric Rone (The Legonater) Ezeran Yanarr (MysticModulus) Guts Holla (Scubacarrot) Hoke Ablesword (UsernameMDM) Hybros (JimBee) Lind Whisperer (Lind Whisperer) Na'im Thamir (Enceladus) Sorrow (Endgame) Terry Yelnats (Endgame) Tesni Hightribe (Peppermint_M) Thormanil Nihai (swils) Torald Waruelf (Alfadas) Warlen Melimane (The Chosen Minifigure) CRESCENT STORE: Grating Stone (WP +1 to one weapon upon use.) Costs 250 gold. First Aid Kit (Completely restores health and removes all negative effects for the entire party once when used.) Costs 150 gold. Libra Signet (This sealing ring bears the secret emblem of the merchant’s guild. The owner can purchase items at a discount (decided by the QM) in any store during a quest. Does not apply to the Marketplace.) Costs 500 gold. Moebius Ring (This ring only has one side, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life. The wearer is automatically revived to full health once per battle; accessory.) Costs 1000 gold. Tritech Enhancement (A device that can be attached to any weapon inseparably. The enhanced weapon ignores defense and damages undead.) Costs 1000 gold. FIRST FACTION EVENT: KINGMAKERS ~ All members of the Crescent Union may suggest one candidate to become the ruler supported by the faction. You may only vote for one candidate, but you may change your vote as long as the voting is on. ~ The candidate can be a known NPC or a player character, but not a completely new, made-up character. It has to be a humanoid, not animal, plant or an inanimate object. ~ The influence that the player character's suggestion has is affected by the reputation he or she has among the Houses: each good reputation gives 1 influence, great reputation 2 influence, and outstanding reputation 3 influence. ~ The voting lasts until the end of the year 2015. Once the event is over, the candidate with the most influence behind them will become the faction's choice for the first king or queen of Eubric. Votes: Guts Holla: 11 (5 votes by Guts, 2 votes by Dyric, 1 by Na'im, 1 by Terry, 2 by Boris) Jun Ji Pei: 13 (5 votes by Atramor, 3 votes by Warlen, 5 votes by Hybros) Lind Whisperer: 5 (2 votes by Lind, 2 by Demon Germ, 1 by Torald) Umbra Shadeaux: 4 (4 votes by Thormanil)

~This topic is for in-character interaction only, and only open to those joining the faction. Questions and out-of-character discussion should be posted into the General Discussion topic.~ TRADITION. PROTECTION. AMBITION. On a late summer's day, a great gathering took place at the Hinckwell Villa on top of the Sungold Hill. The master of the house, the wealthy merchant tycoon Heinrich Hinckwell, had invited over the representatives of two other great houses that had been in power in the city of Eubric for ages: the Bonapartes, the wardens of the sea; and the Ziegfrieds, a fabled family of wizards. On that day, the Hinckwells, the Bonapartes and the Ziegfrieds formed a pact that would become known as the Sungold Alliance. "My friends, I have a strong belief that with this pact, we will thwart the advance of Ulric Wolfkin's poison in the minds of the citizens." "That is all well and good, Mister Hinckwell, but what alternative are we offering to the people who grave for justice and laws." "Alternative? Eubric has been a freeport since the day it was founded! I say our alternative is to keep things as they ought to be!" "Lokuro, ei'ara..." "And look how well that has worked out, Commodore!" "Brothers Ziegfried are correct. While we may think everything is fine and good in our city, the people are restless and unsatisfied." "Aye, and not just the poverty. The young nobility have joined the outcry for monarchy." "If the people want a kingdom, I say we shall give them a kingdom. But not one ruled by a wolf-headed outlandish thug, but a noble and civilized king who respects the rich history and customs of Eubric." "But which one of us would it be?" "If we truly must abolish our old ways and have a ruler, I would propose my niece Attina, once she returns from her mission on the Helvetian Ocean. With her worldly experience in leadership and battle, she would make a fine leader for us in these troubled times." "I must say our older son, Lorcan, has the ambition and vision that is required of a great leader. His expertise in economy and diplomatic relationships would be a major benefit to our city." "Mother, you flatter me. I am certain father is better at all of that than me." "But both of them are so young! My husband Altair is an immensely powerful mage but also the kindest person I have ever met. He if anyone could make the people listen to him, and show that we wizards can be depended upon. Many fear magic, but it can be used to do so much good!" "We could stand here and argue about this all day long, but I have a better idea. We need the support of Heroica. With the influence they have on people, they could really work in our favor. So how about we invite those Heroicans who have shown loyalty to us into the alliance, and give them a say in this matter?" All three families agreed to Heinrich's idea, and thus choice members of Heroica were sent letters of invitation into the Sungold Alliance. JOINING THE SUNGOLD ALLIANCE: ~ If a player character has reputation with the Hinckwells, the Bonapartes or the Ziegfrieds, they can opt to join the Sungold Alliance by posting a "letter" where he or she expresses their will to this topic. ~ Once the character has joined, they will lose all reputation with the Shadeaux, the Ji Pei and the Guild of Invision, including access to the expert job classes those Houses offer. Reputation with the Wolfgang is not affected. ~ If at any point the character wants to quit the Sungold Alliance, they will lose all reputation among the three Houses in it as well. ~ By joining the faction, the player character has access to the faction-specific shop, as well as any future events held by the faction. ~ Some future quests will be geared towards a certain faction, while members of the opposing faction may be locked out of them. So please consider your options before joining! MEMBERS: Althior Emorith (K-Nut) Lord Cedric (wiz) Eric (Khorne) Erik Tyrvarr (Myrddyn) Jinnipher Buchaire (JimBee) Johon (Bricksandparts) Jon "Sarge" Mcency (Pyrovisionary) Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) Mortimer "Em" Mahzan (Emjajoas) Namyrra Uq (Quarryman) Nerwen Calmcacil (Chromeknight) SUNGOLD SHOPPE: Bright Polish (SP +1 to one shield or armor upon use.) Costs 250 gold. Mystril (Adds 10 spellpower when merged into a weapon at a smithy; can only be merged once per weapon, and never into shields; the weapon gets the “Mystic”-prefix.) Costs 1000 gold. Cornucopia (This horn of plenty is said to ensure limitless wealth. Increases the holder’s gold by 25% at the end of each quest.) Costs 500 gold. Medal of Valor (This pendant is awarded by the Bonapartes to those who show their heroism in the battle against piracy. The wearer gains double experience from battles; accessory.) Costs 2000 gold. Zirconia (This rare gem blessed by Ethereth reflects all the colours of the rainbow. The owner can cast spells of any element. It cannot be imbued into equipment.) Costs 900 gold. FIRST FACTION EVENT: KINGMAKERS ~ All members of the Sungold Alliance may suggest one candidate to become the ruler supported by the faction. You may only vote for one candidate, but you may change your vote as long as the voting is on. ~ The candidate can be a known NPC or a player character, but not a completely new, made-up character. It has to be a humanoid, not animal, plant or an inanimate object. ~ The influence that the player character's suggestion has is affected by the reputation he or she has among the Houses: each good reputation gives 1 influence, great reputation 2 influence, and outstanding reputation 3 influence. ~ The voting lasts until the end of the year 2015. Once the event is over, the candidate with the most influence behind them will become the faction's choice for the first king or queen of Eubric. Votes: Eric: 7 (3 votes by Eric, 3 votes by Erik, 1 vote by Sarge) Lawrence Boomingham: 15 (6 votes by Althior, 2 votes by Boomingham, 1 vote by Mortimer, 6 votes by Nerwen)

You will have to have a little more patience, because I'm severely jet-lagging right now and need to head to bed. Tomorrow, people, tomorrow...

"You're the boss, Tesni", Ellaria reminded. "Whatever you decide, I will back you up." Two dozen dark dwarves sounded intimidating, after the trouble she had had with just a few of them back in the Glittering. But someone was giving the nasties orders, and they had to find out who - no matter what it took. "Dumora, are you still with us on this?"

It was midnight before Heckz made it to Souk, and all the shops were closed. There was a shady figure in a skull mask skulking around, but he had not spotted Heckz yet. What would he do? Party at the Souk: John 'Heckz' Brutenhal, the Ghostbuster, the Super Sleuth and the School Inspector (Cutcobra) 32 year old male human Sorcerer Level 26 1/3 *Jinxed Spells at Double Cost* *Darkness Spells Cause Weakened* *Immune to Magic for one battle* *Lucky* Power: 38 (26+12) (Spellpower: 48 (26+12+10)) Defense: 0 Health: 34/34 (5+25+4) Ether: 37/37 (5+25+1+5+1) Gold: 516 Equipment: Solemn Dagger (WP: 12, darkness-elemental dagger, 1/2 chance of causing sealed), Magician's Gloves (Spellpower +10; suitable for mages; handwear), Cloak of Blood Magic (+5 ether, attacks made with darkness magic cause weakened; suitable for mages, necromancers and chi monks; bodywear), Bad Luck Charm (Makes the sorcerer’s spells - including Razzmatazz and Sleight of Hand - cause an additional jinxed-effect, increasing their ether cost by 1; suitable for sorcerers; accessory) Inventory: Rawr (WP:9, dagger), Bone Whip (WP:9, damages undead, whip), Harlot's Outfit (SP: 2, immune to poisoned; suitable for Witches, Sorcerers and Harlots; bodywear/footwear), Buffoon's Hat (Prevents anyone from taking the wearer seriously; protects from Free Hits unless the wearer is the last hero standing; headwear), Watt's Artifact (Makes the user’s attacks and spells three times more effective against demons; accessory), Robe Of The Archmagi (SP:3, Max. Ether + 5, immune to sealed; bodywear), Opal (Ice), Garnet (Earth), Amethyst (Darkness), Aquamarine (Water), Ether Core, Nostrum, Demeter Bomb, Smoke Bomb, 2x Deadly Venom, Heady Perfume (Makes non-humanoid monsters avoid attacking the party unless provoked. Effect lasts for one section of the day before wearing out.), 7 Bones, Bright Polish, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Magic Compass, Blue Jelly, "Fifty Shades of Bley" (Grants access to Harlot), "Begone With the Winds" (Grants access to Weather Mage), Old Teddy (quest item), Flower-tailed Flying Squirrel (quest item), 2x Meat Lump (quest item), Borrowed All Scrolls Sarge woke up on the morning of their fifth day in Salmanda, feeling serene and blessed. The ache and pain that were his constant companions had eased, even if for a while, and he had rested better than in a long, long while. His eyes were mysteriously drawn to the statue of the angel standing in the middle of the room. What would he do next? Party at the Holy District: Sgt. Jon McEncy (Pyrovisionary) *Party Leader* 54 year old male human Black Knight Level 24 *Immune to Blinded and Stunned* *Poisonous Defense* *Permanently Hastened and Blessed* Power: 49 (24+21+2+2) Defense: 20 (16+4) Health: 48/48 (7+23+9+3+3+3) Gold: 780 Equipment: Demonic Greatswords (WP:21, dual strike, has 1/2 chance each to cause sealed and blinded with each hit, Light and Darkness elemental greatsword, Hollow [Health Core]), Serpenthead Shield (SP:16, causes poisoned by 2-effect to anyone physically attacking the user, shield), Pegleg of Hastening (Permanent hastened effect to the user; Immune to Blinded, suitable to Sarge only; footwear), Black Knight's Armour (SP:4, protects from stunned-effect; suitable for black knights; bodywear), Prayer Beads (Makes the wearer permanently blessed; accessory.) Inventory: Weapons: Lilliput Knife (WP:1, wielder’s power is not reduced when under minimized-effect, dagger.) Artifacts: Monkey Armor (SP:4, immune to earth and bound; suitable to knights, beast warriors, dragoons, skirmishers and winged warriors; bodywear), Ranger’s Quiver (WP +1 to bows and crossbows, suitable for rangers, beast warriors, infiltrators and winged warriors; backwear), Sterope’s Headdress (Grants the ability to spend a turn to fly out of a battle and return to it later if it is still going; the wearer cannot affect the battle in any way when they are away from it; suitable to winged warriors only; headwear), Encore Plectrum (If the same Battle Song is sung for more than one round in a row, the song’s ether cost for the consecutive rounds is halved; suitable to minstrels; accessory.), Swift Boots (Changes HIDE into STEAL & HIDE, allowing the wearer to steal gold equal to the target’s level if it carries gold in addition to hiding; footwear) Spell Items: “True Love Serenade” (restores 50 health to the rest of the party per round; costs 10 ether; Battle Song) Consumables: 3 Potions, 2 Remedies, Phoenix Essence, 5 Venoms, Deadly Venom, Poisoned Water (Causes poisoned by 1 to the target; consumable), 2 Smoke Bombs, 2 Bones, Feather of White (Allows the user to hide for up to three rounds, avoiding Free Hits. The effect ends if the user targets an enemy.), Mythril Shard, Jewelry (Worth 100 gold) Tools etc.: Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, Magic Compass, Magnifying Glass, Business Card, Mistarian Grey Panther (quest item), Gold Scorpion Venom (quest item), Tyrant Statue (Increases the holder’s gold by 50% at the end of each quest) Periwinkle nodded eagerly. "Yup, Ulrica was the bitch's name. Sounds awfully lot like the werewolf upriser we have back in Eubric, don't you think? Anyway, I really should return to report back to Revered Aunt Ovelia, but I don't want to get kidnapped again, so I'll just stick around with you guys." Party at the Slums: Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) 48 years old human Paladin Level 35 *Immune to Darkness, Fire, Fragile, Sleep, Weakened, and Blindness* Power: 54 (35+14+4+1) Defense: 19 (7+12) Health: 58/58 (10+34+11+2+1) Ether: 31/35 Gold: 110 Equipment: Frozen Saber (WP: 14; light-, ice- and wind-elemental; inflicts stunned; great sword), Round Metal Shield (SP:7), Tome of Affluence (+10 Gold if equipped for the entirety of a battle; grants immunity to fragile, asleep, weakened, blinded, darkness and fire; accessory), Counterstrike Gloves (If the wearer is damaged by a Free Hit, they counter with strength equal to their level; handwear.), Crimson Suit of Armor (SP:12, allows wearer to pose as Crimson Bear Knight; takes three artifact slots: bodywear, headwear and footwear), Inventory: Weapons: Scupperer (WP: 17; darkness-, fire- and earth-elemental; inflicts bleeding and poisoned by 10; has 1/2 chance each to inflict blinded, sealed, weakened and fragile; greatsword), Lullaby Wand (WP:6, inflicts asleep), Silver Sword (WP: 18, Longsword), Artifacts: Hood of Belthazar Bluehood (Power +4; Ether -6; headwear), Scarlet Hood (SP:4, grants immunity to stunned), Chains of the Pongcanis Chief (Hero Pierces SP if fighting from Front, Enemies ignore SP if hero fights from the back row, cannot be removed in battle), Amulet of Optimism (Adds the confused-effect to all attacks; accessory, suitable to Erdathcath only), Crystal Skull (Makes healing with ether guaranteed, but doubles the ether cost per healed target; suitable to clerics and chi monks; accessory) Spell Items: Amethyst (Darkness), Scroll of Recklessness (Encouraged and Fragile; costs 5 Ether; 50/50 chance), Emerald Lamp of Summoning (0/3), “True Love Serenade” (restores 50 health to the rest of the party per round; costs 10 ether; Battle Song) Consumables: Potion, Health Core, x2 Remedy, Elixir, Phoenix Essence, x3 Mead, x4 Nostrum, Ambrosia, x2 Smelling Salts, Fire Brandy (Encouraged, Immune to Ice), Fireball Whiskey (Immunity to Fire One Battle OR 20 Fire Damage All Enemies), Hamantasch (Lucky, Blessed), Jinxy Juice, Floral Bomb, Seal Bomb, Poison Bomb, Seth Bomb (Deals 100 darkness-elemental damage to all opponents when used.), Feather of Flight (Allows the user to flee from the battle when used.), Hair of the Dog, x2 Grating Stone, Oculoid Miasma, Oculoid Fireworks, Saber Teeth, Mythril Shard, Bone Tools: Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, 2 Meat Lumps (quest item), "Key To Riches" (quest item) Rex the Rhinotaur, the Mighty Mercenary (NPC, controlled by Zepher) 35 years old male wererhino Paragon Level 60 4/5 *Initiative* *Restoration* *Aura of Honor* *Gamble* *No Escape* Power: 95 (60+30+5) Defense: 12 Health: 71/92 (8+59+25) Gold: 655 Equipment: Grindoceros (WP:30; halves target's defense with every successful hit; hammer), Mighty Cuirass (SP:12, suitable to paragons only; bodywear), Shackles of War (Prevents anyone from fleeing battles; accessory.) Inventory: Greater Tonic (Restores 30 ether), Remedy, Phoenix Essence, Smelling Salts, Soma, Deadly Venom, Meat Lump (quest item) Eric (Khorne) 30 year old norseman Raider *Party Second-in-Command* Level 28 2/3 *Natural Respite* *Evasion* *Immune to Fragile, Weakened, Blinded, Asleep, Water and Earth* *Encouraged* *Hastened* Power: 52 (28+22+2) Defense: 5 Health: 51/51 (8+27+7+4+5) Gold: 12 Equipment: Godricsleif (WP: 22; ice-, lightning-, darkness-elemental; greatsword),Pugilist's Gloves (Power +2, protects from weakened; handwear), Heavy Armor (SP:5, protects from fragile; bodywear), Boots of Evasion (Wearer takes half damage in front row + Immunity to water, earth, blinded and asleep; footwear) Inventory: Weapons: Conspirator (WP:18, causes blinded and has 1/2 chance to cause confused with each hit; darkness-elemental longsword), Drengazuli Grom'az (WP:6; Dual Strike; axe), 2 Diseased Silverfish Wings (WP:8, causes cursed-effect, retrievable, throwing weapon) Artifacts: Prayer Beads (Makes the wearer permanently blessed; accessory.) Consumables: Potion, 9 Grand Potions, Health Core, 3 Elixirs, 3 Remedies, Neutralizer, 5 Meads, 5 Smelling Salts, 2 Nostrum, 5 Mulled Wine, Ambrosia, Dragon Scale, Venom, Deadly Venom, 2 Feather of White (Allows the user to hide for up to three rounds, avoiding Free Hits. The effect ends if the user targets an enemy.), Fire Bomb, Lightning Bomb, Floral Bomb, Aeolus Bomb, Agni Bomb, Seal Bomb, Feather of Lithe (Makes the user nimble for three rounds, giving them a 1/3 chance to completely avoid rolls of COUNTER and DAMAGE and Free Hits.), Feather of White (Allows the user to hide for up to three rounds, avoiding Free Hits. The effect ends if the user targets an enemy.) Tools etc.: Periwinkle (NPC, controlled by Khorne) 19 years old female human Cleric Level 31 2/4 *Divert Attacks* *Immune to stunned, poisoned, bleeding, cursed, asleep, fast asleep, confused and hexed* Power: 32 (31+1) Health: 39/39 (9+30) Ether: 35/35 (5+30) Gold: 18 Equipment: Jaws' Mop (WP:1, double damage against aquatic enemies; broomstick), Narcissus Mirror (User has 1/2 chance to divert direct attacks to the next ally in turn; accessory), Periwinkle Ribbon (Grants immunity to stunned, poisoned, bleeding, cursed, asleep, fast asleep, confused and hexed; suitable for Periwinkle only; headwear) Inventory: Remedy, Neutralizer, Phoenix Essence Location: Winding Alleys, the Slums Time: Small Hours of the Fifth Day Influence: 10 Subquests:

Results of Round Four of the Labyrinth Battle: Thormanil vs. Namyrra - Deflected Damage/Hit (Namyrra: 64 health-(65+65=130 dmg)=0 health) Namyrra tries to wake up Thormanil vs. himself - Special Damage/Special Damage (no effect) Monk Pretzel vs. Thormanil - Enhancement/Special Damage (Monk Pretzel: Dual Staff +1 WP) Monk Pretzel vs. Thormanil - Shield/Special Damage (Toolkit: Finders Keepers! - Monk Pretzel: +200 gold) Farfarello - Free Hit vs. Thormanil - (Thormanil: 44 health+13 SP-70 dmg=0 health) Thormanil cannot control himself as the demon makes him lunge his spear into the sleeping Namyrra, knocking her out cold as well. Then he just flails helplessly as Monk Pretzel makes the most out of the situation by enhancing his weapon and digging for some gold. The demon puppeteer then hoists the dragoon up into the air by the ethereal strings. "ALRIGHTY KIDS, PLAY TIME IS OVER. NEXT TIME YOU CONSIDER GOING AFTER THE IMMORTAL WITCH, THINK AGAIN! KYAHAHAHA!" Farfarello smashes Thormanil hard into the side of the cavern. THE BATTLE IS LOST! ***** The heroes wake up to the sun shining on their faces. They realize they have been loaded onto a cart, guarded stern elven knights armed with shields and glaives. "Lady Zaniah, they are awake." The female knight then approached the cart, but she was not alone. Two of the Veterans, the Dragonlord and the Sand Queen accompanied her. "Good. Now I can officially tell you to take this sorry lot back where you came from." Zaniah pointed at the portal glistening in the midst of the trees a little way ahead. "We apologize for any inconvenience our mission has caused you and Spesialia, Lady Zaniah. Since your leaders refused to heed our call, we had to act on our own." "Little did we know of the treachery among these valiant heroes. My visions failed to warn me..." "Valiant heroes?! More like murderous invaders! If it weren't for them, my radiant starlight would still be with me." "Again, we can only apologize, and respect your territory from now on. Heroica has some unfinished business with The Prospector, but once that is settled, we will not set foot in Spesialia again." ~THE QUEST HAS FAILED!~ "You can speak for yourself, but what about the monk who has gone missing?" "Miss Uq and her companions can shed more light on the matter, can't you?" What would the heroes tell Zaniah and the Veterans about the botched-up quest? Party: Johon, The Champion of Darkness (Bricksandparts) 26 years old male human Raider Level 33 2/4 *Natural Respite* *Permanently Lucky* *1.5 stealing multiplier* *Hide of The Bleeding* Power: 43 (33+10) Defense: 1 Health: 47/47 (32+7+7) Gold: 6962 Equipment: Muckraker (WP:+13, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Beast Warriors/Necromancers/Regulators, *Water, Wood, Earth*, Causes *Weakened*), Satchel of Awesomeness (suit: Anyone, *Permanently Lucky*), Hide of The Bleeding (suit: Anyone, +10HP +5ETH for every enemy user defeats), Sticky Gloves (suit: Rogues/Beast Warriors, 1.5 multiplier for stealing), Dog Statuette (Rover) (suit: Anyone, SP:+1) Inventory: Weapons: Old Whip (WP:+10, suit: Rogues/Artisans/Beast Warriors/Decamon Drafters/Harlots/Marauders/Necromancers, 2X damage vs. Beasts), Sword of Decay (WP:+8, suit: Barbaians/Knights/Mages, Causes *Decayed by X-3 rounds* X=dmg dealt/4, Effect does not stack), Greatsword (WP:+3, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Beast Warriors/Necromancers/Regulators), Focal Staff (WP:+5, suit: Clerics/Mages, Ability: Roll 3 at cost of 5 ether), Gladius (WP:+15, suit: Anyone, Darkness, 1/3 chance of causing *Fragile* on succesful hits), Stalker’s Mallet (WP:+8, suit: Barbarians/Knights/Harlots, 1/2 chance of causing *sealed*), Lullaby Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *asleep*), Lovelorn Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *enamored*), Scaridy Wand (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *afraid*), Wand of Wrath (WP:+6, suit: Mages/Necromancers, Causes *enraged*), Shield (SP:+5, Suit: Knights/Dragoons/Regulators/Skirmishers), Qlice (WP:+8, club, Causes *Poisoned-by-4*), Luminous Bow (WP:+9, suit: Rangers/Beast Warriors/Weather Mages/Winged Warriors, 3X damage vs. Fiery/Dark, 0X damage vs. Plants/Aquatic) Artifacts: Simple Helmet (suit: Anyone, HP:+1), Pseudo's hood (suit: Anyone, Ignores Undead immunity), Quiver of Poisoning (suit: Rangers/Beast Warriors/Infiltrators/Winged Warriors, Causes *Poisoned by 1* using bows/crossbows), Blessed Amulet (suit: Anyone, *Immune to cursed*), Barbarian's Boots (suit: Barbarians/Chi Monks/Beast Warriors, *Restoration*), Counterstrike Gloves (suit: Anyone, deals damage equal to level when hit with free-hit), Sterile Gloves (Suit: Anyone, *Immune to Poisoned/Bleeding*), Bravado Boots (suit: Anyone, 1/6 chance of receiving *Lucky* at start of battle), Scarlet Hood (suit: Anyone, pwr:+4, *immune to stunned*), Steel Core (suit: Anyone, +7 power), Heavy Armour (suit: Barbarians/Knights, SP:+5, *Immune to Fragile*), Tin Helmet (suit: Anyone, *Immune to Hexed/Confused*), Brimstone Armor (SP:6, absorbs fire damage; causes fire damage equal to wearer’s defense to those that hit the wearer with normal attacks; suitable to barbarians, knights, dragoons, skirmishers, regulators and vindicators; bodywear) Spell Items: Aquamarine (2), Emerald (1), Garnet (1), Opal (1), Ruby (1), Sapphire (1), Topaz (1), Diamond (2), Amethyst (2), Scroll of Sleep (1), Scroll of Blindness (1), Scroll of Sealing (1), Scroll of Confusion (1), Scroll of Frailty (1), Scroll of Weakening (1), Scroll of Antimagic (1) Consumables: Potion (30), Grand Potion (16), Grand Tonic (1), Health Core (3), Remedy (12), Phoenix Essence (3), Mead (13), Smelling Salts (16), Nostrum (16), Ambrosia (2), Mulled Wine (1), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), Venom (10), Deadly Venom (7), Smoke Bomb (1) , Fire Bomb (1), Water Bomb (4), Lightning Bomb (14), Seal Bomb, Bone (14), Skeleton Decoy (2), Trial Brew (1), Ectoplasm (1), Level-Up Mushroom (1), Grating Stone (1), Blind Fury (1), Neutralizer (1), Equilibrium Tonic (1), Oculoid Miasma (1) Tools etc.: Shovels (1), Pick-axes (2), Magic Compasses (1), Water Canteens (2), Lonely Island Magniscope (1), Blue Rose (Invasion of Luosh) (1), Fifty Shades of Bley (1), Mythril Shards (1), Silver Ore (1) Namyrra Uq (Quarryman) *Party Leader* 1337 years old female Fenarian Necromancer Level 51 1/5 *Immune to Sealed, Slowed, Bound, Confused, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth* *Gains Triple EXP* Power: 96 (51+45) Defense: 10 Health: 65/65 (5+50+5+5) Ether: 70/70 (5+50+1+5+4+5) Gold: 698 Equipment: Crystal Mace (WP: 45 (5*gems imbued); Fire-, Ice-, Wind-, Water-, Lightning-, Earth-, Wood-, Light-, and Darkness-elemental; Mace), Robe of the Archmagi (SP:3, Ether:5. immune to Sealing, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth, bodywear), Medal of Glory (gain triple XP; accessory), Ethereal Cloak (SP:2, Max. Ether +4, backwear), Fanged Helm (SP:5, headwear), Winged Sandals (Immune to bound and slowed, footwear) Inventory: Weapons: Mythril Empyreal Staff (WP:28), Nocturne Flute (WP: 6; inflicts the Asleep effect; Instrument), Pongcanis Shield (SP: 7; Shield) Artifacts: Gold Dragon Crown (max Ether +6; immune to Stunned; suitable for anyone; Headwear), Desert Cloak (immune to Fire; suitable for anyone; Backwear), Water Canteen (Carries 3 portions of water; Accessory), Cobweb Cowl (immune to Sudden Death; suitable for anyone; Backwear), Winged Sandals (immune to Bound and Slowed; suitable for anyone; Footwear), Paper Doll (immune against Hexed, Accessory) Spell Items: Amethyst, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Aquamarine, Scroll of Blinding, Scroll of Arc Blinding, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Weakening, Naamah's Hourglass (Randomly causes either Hastened or Slowed to the target at the cost of 3 Ether), Jade Lamp of Summoning (summons Mediq, restoring health equal to the level of the summoner at the cost of 5 Ether) Consumables: Potions (10), Grand Potions (4), Health Core, Tonics (9), Ether Cores (3), Remedies (12), Phoenix Essences (5), Phoenix Incenses (2), Mead (13), Smelling Salts (4), Nostrum (5), Ambrosia, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired) (2), Deadly Venom (3), Smoke Bombs (2), Holy Bomb, Water Bomb (14), Lightning Bomb (14), Dirt Bomb (3), Aeolus Bomb, Rudra Bomb, Flash Bomb, Demon Repellant (Makes the user impervious to direct attacks from demons for one battle, unless the user is the last one standing), Soul Cage (Doomed-effect to all combatants), Skeleton Decoys (2), Bones (17) Tools etc.: Pickaxe, Bedroll Nerwen Calmcacil (Chromeknight) 264 year old female Elven Minstrel Level 39 *Immune to sealed* *Gains Double EXP* Power: 51 (39+4+8) Defense: 2 (1+1) Health: 53/53 (9+38+11-5) Ether: 51/51 (5+38+4+1+3) Gold: 645 Equipment: Party Maracas (WP:4; user is hastened; instrument), Lesser Ethereal Cloak (SP:1, Max. ether +3, immune to sealed; backwear), Leather armour (SP:1; Bodywear), Medal of Valor (Double experience from battles; accessory) Inventory: Weapons: Elbereth (WP:12, ice-, wind- and light-elemental wand), Mutt's Flute (WP:10; inflicts Weakened-effect; instrument), Nocturne Flute (WP:6; causes asleep-effect; instrument), Battered wooden flute (WP:6; Darkness-elemental; instrument), Sword of the Warrior of the Light (WP: 14; Light-Elemental, Meditate becomes hits; longsword), Mourning Star (WP: 10; Fire-elemental; inflicts Fragile-effect; mace), Bent Crowbar (WP: 8; 3x damage to Mechanical enemies; hammer), Axe of the Minotaur Champion (WP: 30; user is Slowed and Immune to Hastened, cannot be equipped at the same time as a shield; axe), Shield (SP: 5) Artifacts: Elven Robes (SP:1, Max. ether +2, immune to sealed, slowed and jinxed; suitable to elves only; bodywear), Nordic Stomach Guard (SP: 3; Immunity to Ice and Water; Bodywear; Suitable for Barbarians, Regulators, and Beast Warriors), Shield of the Red Lizard (SP: 2; Immune to Blind), Seal of the Warrior Priestess (At the beginning of the battle the user has a 1/6 chance to be Transcended, a 1/6 chance to be Blessed, and a 1/6 chance to be Inspired; Accessory; Suitable for Paladins), Trickster's Mask of the Angel, Order Imperial's Assassin Cowl (Immune to Light and Darkness, Wearer is Nimble; headwear; Suitable for Assassins, Chi Monks, Infiltrators, Rogue Thieves, Paragons), Razor (user is Blessed and Immune to Bleeding, Enraged, and Encouraged; May take up any artifact slot; requires a shaved head), Helm of the Lord of Light (Immune to Light and Jinxed; headwear; Suitable for Knights), Sylvania's Cowl (Permits Animal Talk, Headwear), Counterstrike Gloves, Zap-Tap Badge (1/2 chance to make lighting-elemental counterstrike an opponent who has dealt damage to a hero, equal to the hero's level; Accessory), Spell Items: Scroll of Sleep (2), Scrolls of Blindness (2), Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Weakening (2), Scroll of Frailty (2), Scroll of Confusion (2), Scroll of Lesser Fire Warding (Enables the user to make the target immune to fire for the next three rounds. Each casting has a 50/50 chance of success and costs 1 ether.), Scroll of Lesser Earth Warding (Enables the user to make the target immune to earth for the next three rounds. Each casting has a 50/50 chance of success and costs 1 ether.), Scroll of Lesser Darkness Warding (Enables the user to make the target immune to darkness for the next three rounds. Each casting has a 50/50 chance of success and costs 1 ether.), Hundred Hero Hymn (Battle Song that doubles the current and maximum health for the rest of the party for the remainder of the round. Stacks with the inspired-effect. Costs 2 ether per ally.) Consumables: Potions (10), Grand Potion (2), Health Core, Tonics (3), Grand Tonic, Ether Core (2), Elixir (2), Remedy (6), Neutralizer (2), Tiger Balm (2), Herbal Infusion (Remove negative effects and cause blessed- and transcended-effects) (3), Phoenix Essence (3), Nostrum (2), Smelling Salts (2), Ambrosia (4), Mulled Wine, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed) (2), Titan Heart (encouraged & inspired), Venom (4), Fire Bomb, Ice Bombs (2), Lightning Bomb, Water Bombs (2), Dirt Bombs (2), Air Bomb, Baldur Bomb, Bone, Milk (restores 15 HP and 15 Ether), Red Death Blood (Once applied to a weapon the first successful hit deals doomed, consumable) (2), Sushi (restores 5 health and ether), Feather of Lithe, Grating Stone Tools etc.: Shovel, Bedroll, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Pickaxe Thormanil Nihai, Dragonslayer, Orc-kin (swils) 23 years old male vertically challenged giant Dragoon Level 48 1/5 *Immune to Darkness, Light, Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Asleep, Blinded, Bound, Confused, Fragile,Slowed, and Weakened* Power: 65 (48+16+1) Defense: 13 (10+3) Health: 70/70 (8+47+15) Gold: 2099 Equipment: Shishkebab (WP:16, dual-strike, darkness-elemental, lance),Skirmisher's Shield (SP:10, shield), Bright Armor (SP:3, Wearer is immune to Darkness, bodywear), Winged Sandals (Wearer is immune to Light, Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, and Lightning, and the Asleep, Blinded, Bound, Confused, Fragile, Slowed, and Weakened-effects; footwear) Inventory: Weapons: Dragonsbane Lance (WP: 20, triple damage to enemies with 'Dragon' in their name, lance), Gladiator Trident (WP:11, Spear, causes bleeding-by-5 effect), Guardian Halberd (WP: 5, target's defense is used as additional WP, halberd), Duplovian Swift Halberd (WP:3, deals Stunned, halberd), Tongue on a Stick (WP:1, Miss -> "Aim"), Frozen Saber (WP:9, longsword, Stuns enemies), Repeater Crossbow (WP:7, crossbow. Hastened for first round of combat while equipped.), Mercutio's Dagger of Mugging (WP:5, +5 gold from stealing; dagger), Composite Bow (WP:11, ignores defense, bow), Crystal Shield (SP:2 multiplied by the amount of gems imbued; cannot be upgraded otherwise; shield) Artifacts:Trickster's Mask of the Gender Swap (Accessory), Trickster's Mask of the Weredog (Accessory), Trickster's Mask of the Elf (Accessory), Sticky Gloves (Handwear, Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up)), Aqua Gear (Wearer deals and is immune to water-elemental damage, accessory) Spell Items: 2x Amethyst (Darkness), Emerald (Wood), Opal (Ice) Consumables: 2x Potion, Diluted Arc Tonic, Grand Tonic, 4x Remedy, 3x Phoenix Essence, Neutralizer, Milk, 2x Elixir, Nostrum, 3x Smelling Salts, 3x Mulled Wine, Soma, Dragon Scale (lucky & blessed), Jinxy Juice, 2x Feather of Lithe, 3x Venom, 2x Deadly Venom, 2x Fire Bomb, Lightning Bomb, 3x Smoke Bomb, Ice Bomb, 4x Water Bomb, Doomsday Bomb (99 damage to all enemies), 2x Grating Stone, Teleportapple Tools etc.: Pickaxe, Shovel, Magnifying Glass Arx the Youngling (Pet Dragon controlled by swils) Level: 48 1/5 Health: 78/78 (30+48) Element: Ice

I'm back, guys, and my computer is fully operational... except that I don't have Word or Photoshop installed anymore. That should be a quick fix, though... There was a mix-up in our departure date, since our plane left at midnight.

I'm at Singapore airport now, and if there's no delays, I'll be home tomorrow early enough to pick up my computer from maintenance, and get you an update within 24 hours.

Actually, you regain the lost max health as soon as cursed is remedied. Any current health lost will not be restored, though. Legoland Malaysia was fun, by the way. Got myself a haul of sets for cheap, including the new Millennium Falcon.

Just letting you know that Singapore's been great. Tomorrow we will visit Legoland Malaysia, yay! :D

"Lets see where this turn in the track takes us, shall we? I bet we will find a lot of mythril from the other end..."

That's what you get for criticizing an unfinished quest. Sheesh...

Farfarello isn't unbeatable, the party just had bad rolls. That's just a natural part of all roleplaying games: you can get screwed by bad luck. The party in #135 is so powerful that they swept through the first three battles - all of them designed to be hard. The whole quest was designed with the high risk - high reward concept. The party just ran out of luck at the worst possible moment, and Palathadric took advantage of it.

After yours.

"I know, darling, and I'm sorry for lashing out on you. I know you truly love and care for me deep down in your frozen heart. You'll always be there for me when things get rough." Periwinkle gave Eric an enamored grin. "What comes to that overgrown poodle, she said she didn't like me running to Ovelia to tattle. I don't she's really a devout follower of the Mother, honestly. She kept mentioning some other name in high reverence, like he was her boss or something... What was it, Searfang or something like that..."

Periwinkle gritted her teeth and slapped Eric on the chest. "How dare you make fun of me after I've been kidnapped and held in this rathole for a whole day! Those hags gave me nothing but water because I refused to talk. I swear, once the Revered Aunt hears about this, that mangy white-furred mongrel bitch will get what's coming for her!" Periwinkle almost stormed out of the building, but stopped suddenly and looked at Eric, concerned. "You took care of the crazy winged cow, didn't you? Cause she's a whole lot of scary! She's the one who whisked me away all of a sudden as I walked towards the temple, like a bird catches a worm."

Alright, guys! I'll be heading to Singapore in just a couple of hours. Too bad I couldn't get the next round for #135 up in time, as I reckon it will be the one that decides the fate of the quest. I will be back on the 17th of September, but I'll check on how things are faring with my mobile as often as I can. After my trip, I will be moving to Helsinki, but after that I can focus on Heroica again. Here's what I have in store for you in the near future: - Choose your side as the third act of the main storyline begins, determining the fate of Eubric. - Join Byblos on his quest to master the secrets of the Pandemonicon. - Make your friends' wishes come true as the original Grogmas Gifts event returns this December. - Travel to the Land of Chill in the epic Värtland Saga, coming this winter. - Participate in the Heroican version of The Bachelorette as Chesterine Ziegfried searches for her one true valentine next February. That's something to look forward to, eh?

Periwinkle's eyes flared and she almost knocked her chair over in her fit of rage. "Mffk!!! Hnth mh nhw!"

That is actually an excellent point. I, too, should have trusted players' capability to keep player knowledge separate from character knowledge, and it would have probably caused a lot less irritation among the players.

OoC: Who made an item like that and why? "I apologise, but I have no use for anything like that."

Rather than taking her chance with the muscular viking, the Rito took to her wings and flew into the night, throwing curses at the heroes. Eric got up the stairs and entered the ramshackle building, where he found Periwinkle gagged and tied into a chair. "Mffk! Hh khm th ffv mh!" QM Note: There will be a few week pause in the quest due to my trip. Sorry for the delay, but you can blame Windows 10 about it. We are not far from the climax of the quest, actually. It has been a long journey to get to this point, but I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Of course Lind spots a mistake that was up for the entirety of five seconds and makes a post about it.

I understand the shock and awe about #135, but I don't really appreciate people making assumptions of me trying to control the game to my own liking like some maniacal tyrant. The thing is, I want to challenge this game format and the players from time to time by trying something new. By incorporating a secret traitor into a quest I wanted to test how PvP worked without direct conflict (which usually means a quick end to a quest). I've played Mafia and a couple of "secret agenda" boardgames a lot, so the paranoia caused by a traitor is an intriguing phenomenon. In hindsight, I should have dropped more hints about the nature of the quest, and not be so vague about it, mainly trying to use the Baba interludes to tip off the players about the situation. The delays in the quest are partially to blame that it must've been hard to connect the dots. But you also have to understand that if I had been frank about there being a traitor from the start, it would have put Palathadric in an extremely unfair situation by having to play a whole new role in this game with all the other players constantly watching everyone's words and actions. It was hard enough for him as it was. And yes, Palathadric agreed to being the traitor when I approached him about it privately, and he has been engaged in a quest-long "side quest" of his own. Sure, there must be a lot of things I could have done better with this quest and this new mechanic, but I wanted to try. And some people interpreting me wanting to try new things as me being a power-hungry egotist is simply insulting.

QM Note: Palathadric, what are Monk Pretzel's actions? You will act after Thormanil and Namyrra, so I need them too.