Jay
Marauderator
🧭
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 The Golden Hand
Location: Sulen'Eska -> Up -> Up Vortex -> Up -> Kara SuLema -> Quests -> The Golden Hand,
Location: Sulen'Eska -> Up -> Up Vortex -> Mritha -> New Quests -> Visit Kara -> Kara SuLema -> Quests -> The Golden Hand
Requirements: Completion of Out of Control
Release Date: October 11th, 2019
Objective: With Magesterium rifts threatening all of the Kingdom of Greenguard, what can you do?
Objective completed: Who will you help in defense of Lore?
Experience rewarded: Scaled
Gold rewarded: Scaled
Monsters
(1) Energy Elemental
(1) Fire Elemental
(1) Fire Ray
(1) Lava Glob
(2) Light Elemental
(1) Sandstorm
(1) ShockDrake
(1) Shockwisp
(1) Thunderhead
NPCs
Jaania
Kara SuLema
Magus Neron
Ostromir
Queen Victoria
Vseslava
Rewards
Ribbon of Compromise (I-V)
Access to TGH Loot for DCs.
Dialogue
*You and Kara SuLema continue your discussion with Magus Neron about the multiple rifts opening across the Land of Dragons.*
<Character>: What are we going to do? It was difficult enough to manage one rift, but now they're open across the Kingdom...
Magus Neron: Until we receive word from Swordhaven, we must continue to defend Amityvale. Kara of the Vind, you and your fighters are welcome to assist us.
Magus Neron: However, we do understand if you wished to move your forces elsewhere.
Magus Neron: Without coordination from the Queen, we cannot know where aid is most required.
Kara SuLema: Our own scouts have been tracking the situation.
Kara SuLema: Unfortunately, we may need to reinforce the northern fronts, as they are the farthest from Swordhaven and Rose resources—
*Two letters magically appear out of thin air.*
Magus Neron: Ah, finally. Orders from Lady Jaania herself! Let's see...
*Magus Neron begins reading the letter, before realising it is not addressed to him.*
Magus Neron: It seems I was mistaken. This is meant for you, Lady Kara. And this one is yours, <Character>.
Magus Neron: And here I thought we'd be receiving directions from Swordhaven.
*Kara and you begin reading your letters.*
<Character>: "<Character>. By decree of Queen Victoria of the Kingdom of Greenguard, your presence is immediately requested in Swordhaven..."
<Character>: "...regarding the urgent matter of the Magesterium attack."
Kara SuLema: Mine is the same.
<Character>: We're requested to travel to Swordhaven? Are you comfortable with this, Kara?
*Kara assesses her options.*
Kara SuLema: I'm going.
Magus Neron: Are you sure? You're the leader of the Vind. If Lady Jaania were to capture you, I cannot guarantee that—
Kara SuLema: No. If Jaania is there, then I'll have the opportunity to talk to her. I'll have protection too, once we arrive.
Kara SuLema: My safety is not of concern.
Kara SuLema: <Character> and my bodyguard will accompany me.
*Kara's bodyguard nods in agreement.*
Magus Neron: And what of your Vind? Your troops?
Kara SuLema: Thank you for your concern, Neron. I will have to attend to them before we leave.
<Character>: I guess that means we're off to Swordhaven!
Kara SuLema: I apologize, <Character>, but it seems that once more you must travel alone. The Vind must have their orders before I can leave.
<Character>: I understand. I'll meet you in Swordhaven.
Kara SuLema: Don't worry. We shall be one step behind you.
Magus Neron: Try to get us some orders too, would you, <Character>?
*You fight your way through various elementals of energy as you leave Amityvale.*
Many hours later, you finally spot Swordhaven in the distance...
Onwards!
*You fight your way through various other elementals en route to Swordhaven, where you and Kara begin an audience with Queen Victoria; Jaania is also present.*
Queen Victoria: Thank you for answering my summons, Lady Kara, <Character>.
Queen Victoria: Lady Jaania says that you are the leader of the Vind, Lady Kara. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Kara SuLema: The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty.
Kara SuLema: Jaania has told you true. I am the leader of the Vind.
Queen Victoria: Wonderful. Now, down to business.
Queen Victoria: Given the current situation with the Magesterium's assault on the Kingdom...
Queen Victoria: ...I would hope to negotiate a truce between the forces of the Rose and the Vind.
Queen Victoria: No, not a truce.
Queen Victoria: A temporary alliance.
*Jaania is shocked by Queen Victoria's announcement.*
Jaania: Forgive my interruption, My Queen, but that is not what you—
Queen Victoria: An alliance, unifying the people of Greenguard against this threat. We cannot afford to be divided during this time of peril.
*Jaania is not pleased with this request.*
Kara SuLema: The Vind would like to be agreeable to this, but our people are still persecuted by the Rose.
Jaania: Rose operations have been constantly pestered by the actions of the Vind. This is unacceptable.
Queen Victoria: Can't you just... agree not to fight each other for the greater good?
*Jaania and Kara shoot daggers at one another as sound effects of knives sharpening play.*
Jaania: My Queen, it is not so simple. Our people have been in a prolonged skirmish. There are grudges and resentments on both sides.
Kara SuLema: As well as predjudices and assumptions.
*Jaania glares at Kara again.*
Jaania: The Vind kidnapped the King. Even now he is undoubtedly in their grasp!
<Character>: That's a lie, Jaania!
*With Jaania's accusation, tensions between everyone are now at an all time high.*
Queen Victoria: Lady Kara, is this true? Are you holding my father against his will?
Kara SuLema: While we cared for his wounds for some time, he has since recovered and left of his own accord.
Kara SuLema: He mentioned that he had some personal business to attend to. It was not my place to pry into the affairs of the king.
Jaania: Of course she'd deny it!
Queen Victoria: And <Character>, can you corroborate this information?
<Character>: I can. Lady Kara speaks the truth.
Jaania: Unbelievable.
*Queen Victoria processes all of the information, from both sides.*
Queen Victoria: The king— My father— he was well when he left?
Kara SuLema: He was. He made it clear that he was proud of you and had full confidence in your abilities.
Queen Victoria: I see. Lady Jaania—
Jaania: She's only telling you what you want to hear!
Queen Victoria: Lady Jaania! I trust <Character>, and since s/he can vouch for Lady Kara, I believe her.
Queen Victoria: Do you mistrust the judgment of your Queen?
Jaania: I... do not, Your Majesty.
Queen Victoria: Then as the leaders of the Rose and the Vind— you who have gathered so many followers—
Queen Victoria: You must inspire your people to put aside their differences in the face of the end of the world.
*Kara and Jaania consider Queen Victoria's proposal.*
Kara SuLema: Perhaps we could try. It will not be easy.
Jaania: If you so command it, My Queen.
Queen Victoria (thinking): Politics is easy!
Kara SuLema: Jaania, if I may have a word—
Jaania: I must send out our new orders and return to my research.
Kara SuLema: But—
Queen Victoria: Lady Kara, please forgive Lady Jaania for this. She believes she may be able to close all of the rifts. As such, her time is quite valuable.
Kara SuLema: Her research? What are you planning, Jaania?
*Jaania glares at Kara once again; Kara understands Jaania will not divulge her plans.*
Queen Victoria: That brings us to you, <Character>. How are you doing?
<Character>: I am quite well, Your Majesty. What can I do for you?
Queen Victoria: While I have full confidence in Lady Jaania's abilities, you're quite resourceful.
Queen Victoria: I would like you to search for any alternate methods of closing the rifts.
Jaania: That won't be necessary, My Queen. My plan is—
Queen Victoria: Your plan is still just that. A plan. I will not gamble with the lives of my subjects.
Jaania: I... I understand.
Queen Victoria: Good. Is this agreeable to you, <Character>?
<Character>: I was planning to do just that all along, Your Majesty. So yes!
Queen Victoria: Glad to hear it!
Queen Victoria: Now, I'm sure you all have a lot of business to attend to, but we must first set up some preliminary logistics, send messages—
*A spark of magical energy flashes in the center of the throne room between Queen Victoria and Jaania, and you and Kara.*
Queen Victoria: What is the—
*The magical energy intensifies.*
Jaania: Behind me, Your Majesty. This magic...
*Two strangers in gold-adorned uniforms magically appear atop the map of the Land of Dragons on the table in the center of the throne room; everyone readies their weapons.*
Jaania: Identi—
Queen Victoria: Identify yourselves, intruders, before I toss you into the dungeons!
*Queen Victoria cut Jaania off, standing up from her throne and raising her weapon, prepared to defend herself; both strangers stand and face Queen Victoria.*
???: It appears we've made it alive, Ostromir.
Ostromir: Oh, good.
Ostromir: Hello there, primitives!
Queen Victoria: What is the meaning of this?
Vseslava: I am called Vseslava.
Ostromir: I'm Ostromir!
Vseslava: We are Division Osiem of the Golden Hand. We have been sent by the Magesterium of the Shapeless Empire...
Vseslava: ...by decree of the Shapeless, and at great cost and personal risk, to negotiate and assist in this unfortunate incident.
Ostromir: Most unfortunate incident.
Jaania: The Magesterium!
Jaania: They must not be trusted, Your Majesty.
Vseslava: Oh, the meddler. Most convenient. We are to negotiate with you as well.
Ostromir: But we're not allowed to contain you. Because if we do that, it makes our jobs so much more difficult. Politics and such.
Queen Victoria: Excuse me. You're from the Magesterium...
Queen Victoria: ...who attacked my father, have declared war on Greenguard with your most recent assault, and you're here to negotiate?
Vseslava: Regarding the matter of your King, that was an unfortunate accident.
Ostromir: Indeed.
Vseslava: You have our sincerest apologies, extended to you by The Shapeless.
Ostromir: Sincerest apologies.
Vseslava: However, the most recent "assault", as you put it, was not our doing.
Jaania: The voice screeching that it is, in fact, your doing, seems to indicate otherwise.
Ostromir: Not entirely our doing.
Vseslava: The Shapeless only willed that we open one or two of these rifts at a time.
Vseslava: However, the opened rifts are now no longer under Magesterium control.
Ostromir: Something or someone has interfered!
Vseslava: So we've come—
Ostromir: At great cost and personal risk!
Vseslava: —to offer our assistance in controlling the rifts.
Queen Victoria: And you can close them?
Ostromir: Well...
Vseslava: No. That requires the combined might of the Magesterium, and it also requires the rifts being back under our control.
Jaania: My Queen, you can't seriously be considering trusting them? They are our enemies! They attacked your father!
Queen Victoria: You make a fair point, Jaania. How can we trust you, Golden Hand of the Shapeless Empire?
Queen Victoria: You claim that your attack on my father was an accident—
Ostromir: If you don't, then we're all idiots.
Vseslava: We expect you to trust us because if you don't, then you will not find another way to close the rifts...
Vseslava: ...and their influence will only keep spreading until it covers all of Lore.
Ostromir: And you'd probably imprison or execute us.
*Ostromir pauses momentarily.*
Ostromir: I wouldn't like that.
<Character>: But we've closed a rift already! Surely we can find another way.
Vseslava: Oh! The Hero! <Character>, yes? Of course you'd be here too.
Ostromir: About that closure... I don't suppose you'd be willing to divulge how that was managed?
*You hesitate before deciding not to award the Magesterium with any free information.*
<Character>: No. I don't think I will.
Vseslava: What a shame. Unfortunately for you, we know the magic of the rifts, and we know that they are not closed so easily.
Ostromir: So you probably can't do it again. Probably.
Queen Victoria: And of my father? You've apologized, but explain yourselves! Why did your golems attack us?
Vseslava: That was an accident. We sincerely apologize—
<Character>: It seemed quite deliberate to me.
Vseslava: Our information regarding the hierarchy of the Kingdom was misinformed.
Vseslava: The Magesterium was under the impression that the King was subservient to The Rose.
Ostromir: Preposterous, wouldn't you agree?
*Jaania gives Ostromir and Vseslava an intense glare.*
Ostromir: Are you satisfied with that answer?
*Queen Victoria deliberates Ostromir and Vseslava's responses.*
Queen Victoria: I am.
Queen Victoria: We can discuss reparations later.
Vseslava: Reparations?
Ostromir: Ah, uh, yes, certainly.
*Queen Victoria prepares her next question for Ostromir and Vseslava.*
Queen Victoria: So what is it that you want, exactly, Vseslava, Ostromir?
Vseslava: We require free passage across Greenguard, as well as some protection when we near the rifts.
Ostromir: We have to get close to make our adjustments.
Queen Victoria: And what is the nature of these adjustments?
Vseslava: We will bring the rifts back under Magesterium control, and manually adjust their size as to no longer be a threat.
Ostromir: When we have completed our task, we will send word back to the Empire, and the process of closing will begin.
Queen Victoria: Why do you require our cooperation for this?
Queen Victoria: Couldn't you just teleport where you needed to go?
Vseslava: Teleportation is a tricky magick, and our adjustments take time.
Ostromir: Very risky and expensive.
Ostromir: It wouldn't do us any good if we arrived at a rift and our mangled remains were re-mangled by elementals.
*Queen Victoria begins to seriously consider granting Ostromir and Vseslava's request.*
Queen Victoria: Lady Jaania, Lady Kara, <Character>, what are your thoughts?
Kara SuLema: Would these rifts remain closed, afterward?
Ostromir: That depends on Jaania.
Vseslava: If she stops her snooping around in Magesterium territory, then the rifts will stay closed.
Jaania: I cannot promise that.
Vseslava: Then we cannot either.
Queen Victoria: But why attack the Kingdom? If Jaania is intruding on Magesterium ground, can you not defend against the Rose there?
Vseslava: The Fissure is a place of extreme magical energy.
Vseslava: To send forces to do combat there would be unfeasible in the long term, for both the Magesterium and the Rose.
Vseslava: Attempting to create a rift there could have... unpredictable results.
Ostromir: The current rifts force the resources of the Rose away from the Fissure. The Kingdom being caught in the crossfire is regrettable, but—
Vseslava: But we now understand the Rose answers to Swordhaven.
Ostromir: Rest assured, the Shapeless does not wish to conquer your lands, only to do what it takes to stop the Rose's interference.
Ostromir: Does that answer your question?
Queen Victoria: It does, but I must disagree with your methods wholeheartedly.
Jaania: I have an inquiry.
Jaania: Where do the rifts lead?
Ostromir: You don't know?
Ostromir: What kind of backwards theo—
Vseslava: I'm afraid we cannot divulge that information.
Jaania: Then we will find out on our own!
*Vseslava glares at Jaania.*
Vseslava: Good for you.
Ostromir: As long as it keeps your precious nose out of the Fissure.
Jaania: I...
Vseslava: Any more questions? Or can we get to work?
Queen Victoria: The Magesterium has caused great harm and damage to the Kingdom of Greenguard and its people.
Queen Victoria: However, if the situation is as dire as not only you, Vseslava, and Ostromir, have told me, but Lady Kara and <Character>, as well as our own scouts...
Queen Victoria: ...then I see no other choice.
Queen Victoria: Vseslava, Ostromir, of the Golden Hand of the Shapeless Empire, I grant you free passage.
Queen Victoria: Passage only, though. Should you break our laws or be found doing anything untoward or suspicious, you will be executed.
Ostromir: So dramatic.
Vseslava: It would only be fair if we were to go back on our word.
Queen Victoria: Lady Jaania, you are free to continue your research, provided that you manage your troops and keep away from the Fissure.
Jaania: Thank you, My Queen.
Queen Victoria: We must protect the people of Greenguard, no, all of Lore, first. Then we can resume our petty political squabbles.
Queen Victoria: The Rose and the Vind will work together to protect the people of the Kingdom while the Golden Hand does its work.
Queen Victoria: At no point will interference or subterfuge be tolerated. Is that clear?
Kara SuLema: Understood.
Jaania: Yes, Your Majesty.
Ostromir, Vseslava (in unison): Of course.
<Character>: And... what should I do?
Queen Victoria: I leave that up to you, <Character>. You may assist the Rose or the Vind in their endeavors, or, should you choose to...
Queen Victoria: ...you may aid in escorting the Golden Hand.
<Character>: Yes, Your Majesty.
Queen Victoria (thinking): I'm doing it, father! Wherever you are, I hope you're proud.
Complete Quest
Quest Loot for DCs - opens TGH Loot for DCs shop.
Other information
Pop-up headline during the quest:
quote:
Greenguard is to the right of here.
< Message edited by DemonicDarkwraith -- 12/13/2023 20:01:18 >
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