Heroica RPG - Quest #72: A Party

[Scubacarrot]

"Hybros was lost. He was instinctly drawn to the shiny box and mace. He couldn't help it. His poor communication skills caused him to fail at explaining things. It's his nature. Coming from me, and covered in flattering words, she'll believe it. I wasn't aware all the guests had rooms here. What were you doing there, to begin with, Hybros?"

[JimBee]

Hybros squinted his eyes a little at Guts, slightly offended by this story that they would make up. "Searching their rooms of course. I found who we need to stop, did I not?"

[Scubacarrot]

The raider put two fingers on his forehead, slowly, he said: "You were after something else, were you not?"

[JimBee]

Hybros gave Guts a long and hard look. "No. What makes you think that?"

[Scubacarrot]

The raider stared back. Eventually, he answered: "You're hard to read, Hybros. Very well, just promise me you'll tell me when the job's done. And keep in mind you're in charge, a leader that's not there makes a poor leader." The raider started walking off, to find Lady Felix, then stopped, and added: "Oh, and make sure you don't bring Guffington's life in danger, not even if that doesn't fit with the plans of your precious Ji Pei."

[JimBee]

The raider stared back. Eventually, he answered: "You're hard to read, Hybros. Very well, just promise me you'll tell me when the job's done. And keep in mind you're in charge, a leader that's not there makes a poor leader."

"Noted."

The raider started walking off, to find Lady Felix, then stopped, and added: "Oh, and make sure you don't bring Guffington's life in danger, not even if that doesn't fit with the plans of your precious Ji Pei."

Hybros tilted his head in anger, and reached halfway for his sword. He was about to shout back at Guts, but thought better of it. "You do not know anything about about me..." he muttered under his breath.

"Docken, I think it would be best if you came with me. We have a poisoner to deal with." Hybros began to seek out Lord Marsh.

[Brickdoctor]

"Docken, I think it would be best if you came with me. We have a poisoner to deal with." Hybros began to seek out Lord Marsh.

"Very well. Good luck, Master Holla."

I follow Hybros.

[Zepher]

"What exactly did you do, Hybros? I'll try to smooth things over with Lady Felix. In the meantime, Daneeka, do you have another book, a less important one, written in a language Marsh should not be able to understand?"

"I will fetch it for you immediately. I have a number of smaller texts in the same language, but I have already copied their contents numerous times by hand. You may use one of those in your ploy." Doc Daneeka and Guts slip out of the room, back into the long hallway.

"Docken, I think it would be best if you came with me. We have a poisoner to deal with." Hybros began to seek out Lord Marsh.

The heroes seek out Lord Marsh, who smiles kindly at them.

"Heroes of Heroica, I take it? How are you enjoying your evening?"

[JimBee]

"It has been pleasant, Lord Marsh, eheh. And for you? I sure hope no ill befalls Guffington tonight, hehe. Would be a shame if he was poisoned."

[Zepher]

"I'm enjoying it well enough. It is always nice to travel to Eubric and get off of Gull." Lord Marsh furrows his brow at the suggestion of Guffington's poisoning. "Are you... warning me of something? Should I be concerned for myself or my wife?"

[JimBee]

"Indeed, you should be concerned for your own safety. We know what you have tried to do. Killing friends in high places is not a wise move, especially when those friends have friends in low places, hehehe. Now, if you will come with us, the party can continue without any more death." Hybros directs Docken to arrest Lord Marsh.

[Brickdoctor]

OoC: Sorry, OOC-only post in-thread.

Do you want me to be the one arresting him because of Diplomacy, or...? You are the Party Leader.

[JimBee]

OOC: Yes, partially because of diplomacy, and partially because it makes more sense to have a lawful, tanky badass like Docken do it. Somehow arresting someone twice Hybros' size doesn't make sense.

[Brickdoctor]

"You are under arrest, my lord."

I attempt to restrain Lord Marsh.

[Zepher]

Lord Marsh scoffs in shock. He raises his voice in anger.

"What is this?! You are attempting to arrest me, but you have not even told me what I am accused of?" Then Lord Marsh laughs suddenly and turns to Guffington. "Is this some sort of joke? I know you've always had an impish side." Docken grabs Lord Marsh by the arms. "Too rough, sir!" Lord Marsh calls indignantly.

"What is going on?" asks a worried Henry. "Lord Marsh is a good friend of mine! He does not deserve to be arrested! I would consider it a personal favor if you kept your hands off of him."

"My husband! Unhand him, you monsters!" Lady Marsh looks angry. She begins to march towards the heroes with determination in her step.

[Brickdoctor]

"Master Hybros found that Lord Marsh possessed evidence that he, Lord Marsh, was contracted to carry out or has already begun to carry out an assassination."

I look around to check to see where Guffington is.

[JimBee]

"Yes, perhaps you can explain this?" Hybros shows Lord Marsh the note. "I suppose you are under arrest for attempted murder, eheh."

[Zepher]

Lord Marsh's eyes widen with confusion and fear. He balks at the note, visibly.

"What is that?" he says fearfully. "Is someone supposed to die at this party? What is the meaning of this, Guffington?"

"I have asked my friends at Heroica to police the party. If there is nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear. I did ask them to come to me with the proof..."

"Heroica goons!" howls Hinckwell. "They are a lying and cheating group. They've attacked the Hinckwells before on the Shawe's provocation!"

"Are you perhaps disappointed because I am the target of the assassination?"

Lord Hinckwell and Lord Marsh make fleeting eye contact. Lord Marsh shakes his head ever so slightly. Lord Hinckwell picks up a wine goblet and hurls it at Samuel Shawe. Unfortunately, his aim is off, and the goblet slams into Lord Chauncey's head instead. The man starts to bleed where the lip of the cup hit him.

"Very well, you elite of Eubric. You are all friends of Guffington, but not of mine. One of you is responsible for a death of a friend of mine, but I don't think I will miss any of you particularly." Lord Chauncey twists a ring on his finger and two ghastly figures, one of shadows and one of light, burst into being in red flowing robes. "Spare Guffington and his servants. The rest may perish."

Lord Marsh rips free from Docken's grasp, and the party devolves into fear and confusion.

The Enemies

U’Or

Level 4 Humanoid

Health: 400/400

Special: Loyalty – All damage done to Guffington next round is negated.

Drops: 40 Gold

NOTE: Does not deal free hits.

Captain Elba

Level 12 Humanoid

Health: 300/300

Special: Loyalty – All damage done to Guffington next round is negated.

Drops: Nothing

NOTE: Does not deal free hits.

Gerald Guffington

Level 13 Humanoid

Health: 300/300

Special: The Great and Powerful – Guffington exits the fight, taking U’Or with him.

Drops: Nothing

NOTE: Does not deal free hits.

Lord Henry Hinckwell

Level 16 Humanoid

SP: 10

Health: 250/250

Special: Hide! – Henry Hinckwell hides undercover, all damage done to him for the remainder of the round and the following round is negated.

Drops: 1500 Gold

NOTE: Deals damage to Samuel Shawe on free hits.

Samuel Shawe

Level 15 Humanoid

Health: 560/560

Special: Hide! – Samuel Shaw hides undercover, all damage done to him for the remainder of the round and the following round is negated.

Drops: 1000 Gold

NOTE: Deals damage to Henry Hinckwell on free hits.

Lord Chauncey

Level 70 Dark Humanoid *Immune to all effects and Instant Kill* *Immune to darkness and light elemental damage*

Health: 2050/2050

SP: 4

Ether: 4/4

Special I: Dusk and Dawn Forces – Summons a dark and light minion to the field. Costs one ether.

Special II: Day and Night – Deals 50 damage to all party members.

Passive Special I: Dark Magic – On even rounds, Lord Chauncey’s damage rolls are darkness elemental.

Passive Special II: Light Magic – On odd rounds, Lord Chauncey’s damage rolls are light elemental.

Drops: Amethyst, Diamond, 1000 Gold, Hood of the Black Mage (SP: 4, Immunity to Darkness and Light Elemental Damage), Summoning Ring (Summons get +4 levels, suitable for Evokers), 3 Amethyst Lamps of Summoning

Note: Lord Chauncey’s attacks ignore row, as he is a mage. Free hits have a 1/2 chance of hitting a random party goer instead of the hero (excluding U'Or, Captain Elba, and Guffington).

Dark Minion

Level 74 Ethereal *Immune to Instant Kill*

Health: 100/100

Special Damage: Dark Damage – Deals 74 darkness elemental damage.

Drops: Nothing

Light Minion

Level 74 Ethereal *Immune to Instant Kill*

Health: 100/100

Special Damage: Light Damage – Deals 74 light elemental damage.

Drops: Nothing

Lord Marsh

Level 10 Humanoid

Health: 120/120

Special Damage: Call For Help! – Lord Marsh yells wildly for help.

Drops: 1200 Gold

Lady Marsh

Level 7 Humanoid

Health: 300/300

Special Damage: Slap – Deals 2 damage to the hero and stuns them.

Drops: 50 gold

Madame Ladybug

Level 48 Humanoid *Immune to Effects and Instant Kill* *Lucky, Hastened, Blessed*

Health: 700/700

Special Damage: Mixture – The alchemist mixes random ingredients together and creates a new item. She then uses it immediately.

Drops: Remedy x2, Nostrum x2, Mead x1, Dragon Scale x4, Phoenix Essence, Tome of the Alchemist (All mixtures involving the a roll of 1 will be re-rolled, Accessory, Suitable for Alchemists)

NOTE: As an expert alchemist, Madame Ladybug will not create anything that uses a 1 in the roll. Free hits have a 1/3 chance of hitting a fellow party goer instead of the heroes.

The Party

Hybros *Party Leader*

Level 26 Assassin

*Hastened*

*Immune to

Cursed

,

Asleep

,

Blinded

,

Confused

,

Fragile

,

Weakened

*

*Immune to all elements* *Cursed*

Power:

32

Defense:

0

Health:

40/40

Gold:

728

Equipment:

Sword of Ancestral Hatred

(WP: 6, gains 1 WP every kill made with it,

light

- and

darkness

-elemental; longsword)

,

Golden Armor

(user is permanently hastened and cursed,

fire

-,

water

-,

earth

-,

wind

-,

wood

-,

ice

-,

lightning

-,

darkness

-,

light

-elemental, grants immunity to Sleep, Blindness, Confusion, Frailty, and Weakening; bodywear),

Sticky Gloves

(Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up); handwear),

Eye of the Beholder Amulet

(Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round)

Inventory:

Zoot's Reaper (WP:15,

earth

-elemental; scythe),

Clock Cog (WP: 14, retrievable), Banana Bladerang (WP:9, damage all, retrievable), Eye-poking Sai (WP:8, blinded-effect, dagger), Twin Kunai (WP:6, dual strike, dagger), Blessed Amulet (protects from cursed-effect; accessory),

Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1, retrievable)

, 14 Potions, 14 Grand Potions, 22 Health Cores, 12 Remedies, 2 Neutralizers, 2 Elixirs, 5 Phoenix Essences, Deadly Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, 3 Lightning Bombs, 3 Holy Bombs, 14 Nostrums, 2 Meads, 5 Mulled Wines, Minimizing Dust, Bedroll, Shovel, Skeleton Decoy, Bone, Certificate for a Cloak of a Red Assassin (The next red assassin met is forced to give up his cloak)

Bartholomew Docken

, Dragonslayer

Level 31.5 Warden

*Gains Triple XP* *Takes Halved Damage from Free Hits*

*Scary*

*Immune to Defense Reduction,

Confusion

,

Blindness

,

Badly Poisoned

, and

Fragile

*

Power:

41

Defense:

23

Health:

60/60

Gold:

865

GP:

4

Equipment:

Darksteel Crossbow (WP: 10;

Blinded

-effect), Mythril Shield (SP: 20), Dread Hat (permanent

Scary

-effect; immune to Defense Reduction,

Confusion

,

Blindness

,

Badly Poisoned

, and

Fragile

; Headwear), Mail of the Renegade Commander (SP: 3; Damage of all Free Hits is halved; Bodywear), Eye of the Beholder Amulet (Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round), Cobweb Cowl (immune to Instant-KO; Backwear)

Inventory:

Health Cores (3), Grand Potions (5), Remedies (5), Phoenix Incense, Phoenix Essences (2), Bones (7), Smoke Bombs (4), Teleportapple, Bedroll, Counterstrike Gloves (After the wearer is struck by a Free Hit, he counters with strength equal to his Level; Handwear), Medal of Glory (Mark of true talent that allows the wearer to gain triple experience from battles; Accessory),

Edited July 4, 2013 by Zepher

[JimBee]

OOC: I am assuming we don't get to keep all of this loot? Also, do the passive specials on Lord Chauncy count for free hits as well?

Hybros frowns and tries to determine the next course of action.

[Brickdoctor]

"I'm not seeing many ways we can avoid taking a lot of Damage from Free Hits, Master Hybros.

"The best plan I can come up with is for me to target the Dark Minion, then you target Lord Chauncey, and then you target Madame Ladybug. We pray that we get favorable rolls. Then I take a Free Hit from the Light Minion, you take Free Hits from Lord and Lady Marsh, and I take a Free Hit from the Dark Minion. You would take 9 Damage and I'd take 8 Damage. You would have to target an enemy that's Lucky, you would not get to target anyone that can be Assassinated, and we would not be able to keep up the same plan for very long. We would have to include a conditional action, that if I rolled an Aura, you would throw a Smoke Bomb.

"That's the best course of action I can think of, though: to do that and see what happens, and if the Round doesn't go well, to throw a Smoke Bomb and try to grab Lord Guffington on the way out in the next Round."

[JimBee]

After thinking awhile, Hybros replied to Docken. "Let us just get out of here. There are too many of them, even for you and I, eheh."

Hybros does nothing.

Battle Order:

Docken

Hybros

[Brickdoctor]

I throw a Smoke Bomb from the Back Row, and if I can, I attempt to bring Lord Marsh and Lord Guffington with us as we retreat.

[Zepher]

Docken throws a smoke bomb and the heroes step back out into the hallway...

Round Six Lady Felix Fight

Guts takes Health Core

Guts v. Lady Felix - Hit/Critical Hit (([29*3]+27)*2*2=456)

Lady Felix regains 200 health

Party

Guts Holla

Level 26 2/3 Raider

*Immune to

Fragile

,

Asleep

,

Confused

and

Blinded

**Immune to

Darkness,

Light

,

Water

,

Fire

,

Air

,

Earth

,

Wood

,

Lightning

and

Ice

Elemental Damage* *Lucky* *Encouraged* *Hastened* *Bleeding*

Power:

56 (36 for ranged attacks)

Power Bonus

: 1 (Shroom!)

Health:

40/40

Defense:

4

Gold:

394

Equipment:

Lifestealer

(WP: 29,

Ice

,

Darkness

, attacks restore 3 health, dagger, Deadly Poisoned),

Dancing Shoes

(Wearer dances well, in the turn after a miss is rolled, the wearer can act twice. +Immunity to

Asleep

,

Confused

,

Fragile

and

Blinded

, + Immunity to

Darkness

,

Light

,

Fire

,

Air

,

Earth

,

Wood

,

Lightning

and

Ice

Elemental Damage, footwear),

Crocodile Armour

(+4 Defense +Immunity to

Water

Magic, bodywear), Eye of the Beholder Amulet (Accessory, Once per quest the hero may re-roll the last round)

Inventory:

Stag Antlers (WP:10, Intimidation, halberd), Throwing Knife (WP: 9,

Light

, Retrievable),1x Ambrosia, 10x Mead, 10x Smelling Salts, 9x Nostrum, 20x Grand Potion, Health Core, 1x Elixir, 1x Grand Tonic, 12x Remedy, 3x Phoenix Essence, 5x Smoke Bomb, 3x Deadly Venom, 2x Neutralizer, Shovel, Telescope, Magic Compass, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Bedroll, 4x Mythril Shard, Metasimian Ale,

Opal

, Grating Stone, Pugilist's Gloves (2+ Power, Immune to Weakened, handwear),

Chef’s Apron (Bodywear, Immunity to fire and poisons), Pan (WP: 1, +1 Max Health, suitable for all classes), Fishstick (WP: 7, deals double damage on ships, club), Phoenix Essence, Oneupshroom cap (When eaten, works as a Pheonix Essence)

The Enemies

Lady Felix

Level 34 Humanoid *Genetic Regrowth* *Immune to Instant Kill*

Health: 754/1234

Special Damage: Pilfer – Steals a consumable from the hero’s supplies and uses it.

Passive Special: Genetic Regrowth – As a Selkreeth, Lady Felix has incredible powers of cell regrowth. On all rounds that are multiples of three, Lady Felix will regain 200 health.

Passive Special II: Selkreeth Mace - The Selkreeth carry a special kind of mace. All rolls for damage deal the "bleeding" effect.

Drops: Nothing

Time: 8:46

"There's the imp," says Lady Felix gleefully.

The door to the dining hall flies open and Everstien bursts through. He closes it and locks it swiftly.

"We're running out of time, we need to get to Daneeka and go back again. We're not even observing the scenario anymore, we've gotten so off-track. Where is Lady Nyx?"

[Brickdoctor]

"I think she went into the kitchen. Can we get there without going through the main hall?"

[Scubacarrot]

Guts attacks Lady Felix twice. With a crazed look in his eyes, he laughs, and says: "Stay out of this. This bitch is going to die before we jump. And then I am going to kill her again."

Edited July 5, 2013 by Scubacarrot