Heroica RPG - Quest #99: Six Thousand Feet Under

[LordoftheNoobs]

"Ooh yes, good idea."

Grimwald consumes his Smelling Salts, and equips the Lens of Speed Reading that Arthur lent him in place of his Tricorne.

(OOC: I tried bolding the action but it wouldn't let me.)

Edited April 18, 2014 by LordoftheNoobs

[Flipz]

OOC: Save your Meads, if we all fight in the same row, you'll be Encouraged anyway.

[LordoftheNoobs]

(OOC: Ok, I changed it.)

[Endgame]

QM Note: Flipz, if you're coming on my finale, there will be 8+ heroes, not just 3. After the first item roulette, you're on your own for formatting everything. Think I got everything right...

"Ah, the Minoid."

Cobb rifles through his pockets, pulling out a card of thick paper with holes punched into it. The pattern was rather complex, not to mention difficult to replicate.

"It has a slot of punch-cards on its back. Just insert this in, and he'll recognize you as a friend. Now, if you're ready to go, allow me to escort you."

The Party:

Arthur Justus Regulus VII, a Hero Who Is Actually Worth Something (played by Flipz), Level 31 Mystic Knight, 22-year-old male Human *Immune to Fragile and all Poisons* *Only Receives One Negative Effect At A Time* [ Currently in: Heroica Hall ]

Power: 42 (31 + WP:11)

Health: 54/54 (Basic Health: 5 + Level Bonus: 30 + Class Boost: 15 + Permanent Boost: 4*)

Ether: 36/36 (Basic Ether: 5 + Level Bonus: 30)

Defense: 20 (Arm Shield: 14 + Duke's Coat-of-Arms: 5 + Unicorn Helmet: 1)

Gold: 73 (Owed 128 gold by Boomingham)

Equipment: Gladiator Trident (WP: 11, Spear, causes bleeding effect), Arm Shield (SP:14), Overkill Gloves (Gives the wearer 1 gold for every point of damage they do extra when they defeat an enemy. (Example: Enemy has 50 HP left, you do 75 damage, you earn 25 gold.)), Duke's Coat-of-Arms (Protects against Fragile and all Poisons, SP; 5, suitable for knights, dragoons, skirmishers and regulators; bodywear), Unicorn Helmet (SP:1; the wearer can only receive one negative effect at a time, with a new effect replacing the old one; usable by barbarians, knights, dragoons, infiltrators, regulators, skirmishers, and winged warriors; headwear), Zap-Tap Badge (Artefact, Accessory. Has a 1/2 chance to deal Electric damage to an opponent who has dealt damage to a hero, equal to the hero's level.)

Inventory:

Weapons: Zoot's Rebel (WP:20 broomstick, suitable to Arthur only), Sir Roderick's Sword (WP:12, Longsword), Sword of the Vampir (WP:17, user is Jinxed), Duplovian Swift Halberd (WP:3, stuns on successful hits, Hollow [Ambrosia] halberd),Spider Leg (WP:8, doubled against flying enemies; spear; unsuitable),

(Unsuitable weapons: Hollow Blade Dagger (WP:6, dagger, hollow-blade [nothing]), Ammit (Greatsword, WP 6, gains 5 Ether for each kill),

Artifacts: Duplovian Helmet of the Guard (SP:2, Immune to Magic and Healing), Shackles of War (Accessory, Prevents anyone from fleeing battles), Cloak of Deception (Backwear, Free hits against the wearer have a 1/6 chance to be redirected to a random opponent), Jester's Hat (Headwear, Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy), Stingy Gloves (Handwear, wearable by everybody. Prevents enemies from ever stealing gold from you.), Minoid Card Key

(Unsuitable Artifacts: Sticky Gloves (Handwear, Increases the amount of gold stolen by 50% (rounded up), suitable for rogues and beast warriors) (sent to Isaac Shawe) )

Gems: Opal (Ice), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Diamond (Light), Garnet (Earth),

Tools: Bedroll, Telescope, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Magic Compass

Scrolls: All Lent!

Consumables:

*Healing: Potion, Grand Potion x10, Tonic, Grand Tonic x8, Ether Core, Remedy x9, Elixir x4, Sushi x3

*Status: Nostrum x3, Hurricane, Smelling Salts x 2, Mead x4, Ambrosia x2, Dragon Scales x2, Jinxy Juice x2,

*Venoms: Exterlate, Noxious Venom (When used on a weapon, the weapon deals the Poisoned-by-10 effect for the duration of the battle and the Confused effect for the next three rounds, for the duration of one battle.),

*Permanent Improvement: Bright Polish, Grating Stone, Ella's Pie (Permanently boosts max. ether by 5 but permanently decreases max. health by 5 when consumed.),

*Bombs: Smoke Bomb x5, 3 Bones, Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Pumpkin Bomb (Causes stunned-, poisoned-, asleep-, blinded-, sealed- and confused-effects to all opponents when used.),

*Currency: Scrap Metal x2

Erdathcath Madilinas, 199 years old, *Hastened!*

Level 20.33 Druid

Power: 30

Health: 34/34

Ether: 23/23

Gold: 87

Equipped: Tritech Handcannon (WP:15, Fire-elemental), Satchel of Awesomeness (Permanent Lucky-effect; bodywear), Amulet of Optimism (Adds the confused-effect to all attacks; suitable to Erdathcath only; accessory)

Inventory: Longbow (WP:7), Quick bow (WP: 6, Suitable to rangers, provides hastened effect for one round each battle), Helmet (+1 max. health), 6 Potions, 3 Grand Potions, 6 Mead, 7 Smelling Salts, 15 Venoms, 3 Deadly Venoms, 1 Super Deadly Venom, 2 Floral Bombs, 2 Ice Bombs, 2 Lightning Bombs, 1 Fire Bomb, 3 Smoke Bombs, 2 Water Bombs, 2 Holy Bomb, 2 Dirt Bombs, 2 Air Bombs, Bone, Skeleton Decoy, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, Saber teeth, Scroll of Weakening, Snake Eye Charm (protects from petrified), Mage's muffler (protects from sealing), Jinxy Juice, Grand Tonic x2, Love Potion, Blind Fury, Grating Stone, Jinxy Juice, Deadly Venom, Mythril Shard, Unlucky Horseshoe (WP:13, retrievable, causes Jinxed-effect; throwing weapon), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light-Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2, 3, or 4), Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Confusion, Healing Staff (WP: 5), Noble Mask (Wearer gains gold equal to the number of enemies after each victorious battle; headwear),

69 year old male gnome Cleric (Immune to Weakened) *Hastened!*

Level: 12.5

Power: 19 (12 + 6 + permanent boost of 1)

SP: 3

Health: 20/20

Ether: 16/16

Gold: 100

Equipment: Knotted Broom (WP: 6), Tricorne (suitable for anyone, SP: 3, headwear), Pugilist's Gloves (Power +2, protects from Weakened ), Lens of Speed Reading (Accessory, Allows a scroll to be read in addition to a normal action. Suitable for scroll users.),

Inventory: Shovel, Pickaxe, Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Sleep, Mead, Tonic, Remedy x3, Potion x2, Bone x2, Grand Potion, Bunch of Cherries (10/10 cherries that each restore 1 ether when eaten), Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, Ice Bomb, Root beer (Restores 10 health, or can be used as a bomb against Undead enemies for 20 damage (Does not affect non-Undead enemies)), Ambrosia, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Armor Sundering (Reduces target’s SP by 5 and has a 50/50 chance of success), Scroll of Poisoning (Grants target’s weapon the Poisoned 10 effect for one battle at the cost of 5 ether), Scroll of Luck (Grants target the Lucky-effect for one battle. Costs 10 ether.), Scroll of Weakening, Healing Staff (WP: 5), Scarf of Misfortune (Accessory, Wearer deals the Jinxed effect on every third round),

Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7, 50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics),

The party follows Cobb's lead, the prospector brining them to a rather large gate.

"Good luck, heroes. I wish you the best and expect the best."

With the prospector's slightly backhanded blessing, the trio of heroes enters the mine, undaunted by the trials that would soon befall them...

QM Note: I'll have the first room of the mine up ASAP, I just wanted to get the whole item switch up!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Endgame

[Endgame]

Descending down a pebbly incline, careful not to slip and tumble down the shaft, the party finds themselves at their first corridor:

Will the party head right or left? Silence emanates from both paths...

[Flipz]

OOC: I think I loaned my Noble Mask to Erdy, if I didn't, I meant to. Also, Grimwald equipped the Lens of Speed-Reading.

"Lady Erdathcath, I recommend you equip that Noble Mask I lent you, since you can equip a third Artifact with your current level of experience."

"I vote we go left, and I'll make a map of which way we're going as we go."

[The_Customizer]

"A wonderful idea Arthur, and thank you once again for lending it to me. The gold will be useful." Erdathcath equips the Noble Mask, then speaks, "Let us move forward! I say we keep going right until something else pops up, gives us an easy way to keep track of where we are."

[Flipz]

"Either way works for me--the same basic concept applies."

[Endgame]

Majority rules, and thus the party heads down the right passage. The trudge through another claustrophic tunnel, careful not to bump their head on the several wooden struts made to support the tunnel. They enter into another room, finding...

The Minoid! It lies in a pit, deactivated and slightly compressed.

[The_Customizer]

"I must say, that happens significantly faster than I expected. Who has the punch-cards Cobb gave us? Might as well power it up!"

[Flipz]

"I'm a little more concerned about the footprint it seems to be lying in..."

Arthur scans the Minoid with his Magnifying Glass before inserting the card key Cobb had given him.

[Endgame]

Arthur scans over the Minoid's limp body with his magnifying glass - the robot was clearly damaged, but showed no sign of being boobytrapped. Confident that it would have no immediate consequences after his search, Arthur inserts the card key. A whirring is heard as the light on its head begins to flicker to life... It begins to drone on in a fittingly monotonous voice as he activates.

"Booting up. Minoid unit 3646485670798199 activating... Orginating from Cour Laboratory. Current operation: Assist Goland Mine operation."

The robot seems to complete its obligatory spiel, entering autonomous mode.

"Three life forms identified. Basic visual analysis dictates these three are humanoid. QUERY: Names? Alignment? Goals? Association to Goland and The Creator?"

The robot attempts to get up, but falls back down when its gears lock.

"PROBLEM: Mechanical movement impaired. Likely due to excessive compression from being stepped on by a giant."

[The_Customizer]

Erdathcath approaches the Minoid cautiously, "Hello, my name is Erdathcath Midilinas. I am unsure what you mean in "alignment", however my goal and association to Goland and The Creator, who I presume is Cobb? Is simple, we were sent to discover what caused this giant to awaken and start rampaging against the mine and the workers inside it. What do you know about it?"

Edited April 18, 2014 by The_Customizer

[Endgame]

"IDENTIFICATION: Erdathcath Midilinas. Data filed away for future use. Alignment definition: Who do you serve? Answering that question is unnecesary, as you serve Cobb Altt.

Cobb Altt. Is not my creator. Cobb Altt did not build me. Masson Cour built me.

The giant? Large. Measures approximately 42.63636363636363636363636 feet by cursory measurements using built in sextant technology. Appeared to be armed. Unable to idenify due to cloud of smoke surrounding the entity.

QUERY: Are you able to repair me?"

Edited April 18, 2014 by Endgame

[Flipz]

"My name is Arthur Justus Regulus the Seventh. I am a Hero of Heroica, hired by Cobb Altt along with these other two Heroes to discover as much information as possible about this giant in the mines, as well as to remove it if possible. Our secondary objective is to retrieve a shipment of jewels intended to be sold to the Shadeaux. I also happen to be a friend of Masson Cour, as well the Syndicate."

"If I had appropriate tools and a workstation, I could attempt to repair you--my experience is primarily with the mechanics of siege weaponry, but I've worked alongside Engineers and examined the remains of automatons before, and besides, the basic principles of physics and mechanical operation should still apply. Do you know where we might find such a suitable space? Did Masson provide a location and supplies with which to repair you?"

[Endgame]

"IDENTIFICATION: Arthur Justus regulus The Seventh. Noted and filed away for future use. The Creator foresaw thought something would eventually happen. He did not desire to have to sail out here again. Therefore, he made me not only simple and modular to fix, but also programmed me with an extensive knowledge of my mecahnical innards.

QUERY: Are you capable of rotating my form 180 degrees and opening the hatch located on my upper back? Diagnostics say that is where the issue lies."

[Flipz]

"That I can do." Arthur gingerly rotates the damaged automaton as directed.

[Endgame]

"Social trivialities programmed within me dictate I must display gratitude: QUOTE: "Thank you." END QUOTE."

Arthur flips open the mechanism and finds a rather odd panel...

"Normally, in case of damage, I've been designed to recalibrate and continue with minimum impairment. Compression due to the approximate 30 ton giant stepping on me has had an averse effect on my ability to calibrate myself. Should this panle you are currently observing be repeaired, I should be able to right any errors with movmeent myself in a matter of seconds. However, I am unable to operate the panel myself. BEGINNING EXPLANATION:

-The panel is a six by six grid, with 12 black tiles lying outside of it. 6 horizontal black tiles, 6 vertical. Disregard the white tile. It is meaningless.

-Each black tile contains a fuse of a primary color. Primary colors are, assuming pigments and not the primary colors of light, red, blue, and yellow.

-The fuses not disrupted by my compression are secondary colors.

-Secondary colors on the grid are created when two primary colors from the black tiles intersect. Imagine each black tile on the top draws an imaginary line down, and the ones on the left an imaginary line to the right. Where these two lines intersect is where the corresponding fuse is.

-Purple is created from blue and red.

-Orange from red and yellow.

-Green from blue and yellow.

-Using the remaining fuses on the grey tiles, you must deduce the colors of all the fuses on the black tiles.

-Do not forget that the fuses on the black tiles are only primary colors. No exceptions.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Endgame

[Flipz]

"Wow, those are some small fuses. I think I know how to fix this, but I don't want to risk my clumsy fingers pushing the intact fuses out of place. Master Grimwald, perhaps your fingers are a bit smaller and more steady than mine?" Arthur whispers something into Grimwald's ear.

OOC: I've solved it, but I'll PM it to you instead and let the others enjoy figuring it out as well.

[Endgame]

"Exercise caution. Rewiring this panel wrong may have consequences when I recalibrate. Improper recalibration may lead to rewriing my arms to my lower appendages. That would be unacceptable."

Edited April 19, 2014 by Endgame

[LordoftheNoobs]

(OOC: I figured it out, but among the billion other problems this stupid forum seems to have with it's reply system, I can't upload a picture of the finished puzzle. I put the URL in the Image Uploader and pressed OK, but nothing happened. I waited for ages too. Why this site doesn't let you just upload files straight from the computer I have no idea... )

[Flipz]

(OOC: I figured it out, but among the billion other problems this stupid forum seems to have with it's reply system, I can't upload a picture of the finished puzzle. I put the URL in the Image Uploader and pressed OK, but nothing happened. I waited for ages too. Why this site doesn't let you just upload files straight from the computer I have no idea... )

OOC: Use Flickr or Photobucket, the forums can't handle uploads of that magnitude.

[LordoftheNoobs]

"Hello there, Mr. Minoid. My name is Grimwald Gjinko, and I'm going to attempt to fix you now."

Solution:

Vertical Lines (from left to right): Red, Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Blue, Red.

Horizontal Lines (from top to bottom): Red, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Red.

[Endgame]

With the utmost care, Grimwald begins to repair the robot. The panel begins to become complete, the pieces falling into place...

The twisting and turning of cogs begins to become audible from inside the automaton. The machine re-calibrates itself, steadily recovering from being crushed by the giant. Before long, it clambers to its feet, standing up straight and facing the party.

"Social trivialities programmed within me dictate I must display gratitude: QUOTE: "Thank you very much." END QUOTE.

I am now capable of walking and moving my remaining appendages at full capacity. If you wish for me to join you, you ust simply say it.

QUERY: Have any of you found my missing arm?"

The robot was indeed missing an arm...

[The_Customizer]

Erdathcath studies the array of fuses, and agrees that Grimwald did it correctly. "If you would be willing to join our group, we would be much obliged, I presume you know these mines fairly well, and the extra assistance is always welcome. As for your arm, I do not believe we have stumbled upon it as of yet. Perhaps the giant has it stuck into his foot, or it may just be laying around here" Erdathcath studies the ground around the footprint in hopes of finding the missing arm.