[F09] <<Into the Fire>>

[Cardinal 0]

Floor 9
<<Guardian of Fire>>
Party Limit: 4 | 20+ Posts
Repeatable for standard thread rewards.

Quest Rewards:

• 1,000 Experience Points
• Each player receives:
  • Cerberus Soul (T1 Unique Consumable)
    • Adds 12 Burn damage for two turns to a weapon on a Natural BD roll of 8-10 for the duration of the thread. Does not stack with the Burn Enhancement.
• Unlocks <<Gatekeeper of Fire>> Quest

Requirements:

• Hear rumors of the Cerberus in Inferno Cavern and collect information to travel.
• Journey from Knorilt Village across the Volcanic Flatlands to Inferno Cavern over at least three posts of roleplay. 
• Defeat the Cerberus and its minions (3 Hellhounds per player present).

Summary:

Unease hangs heavy upon the residents of Knorilt Village, and has caught the attention of several info brokers in the area. Players can easily find information relating to the Cerberus that has made its home in the volcanic region nearby. It terrorizes and threatens anyone who decides to step out of the safe zone of Knorilt Village, wandering over a wide area that has been claimed as its territory. One broker has determined the location of the beast’s den and offers great rewards if someone is willing to take on the burden of dispatching the beast.

Outline: 

Gather some information on Cerberus to find its home. Once the players have found its location, they travel across the Volanic Flatlands to an area known asthe Inferno Cavern. The scorching heat in this area slowly injures anyone foolish enough to enter proper protection. During combat within the Infernal Cavern, each player suffers 15 unmitigatable damage every post unless they have the <<Survival>> skill active for this thread, or are wearing equipment with the Fireproof or Flame Aura enhancements. After having slain the beast, the players can return to Knorilt Village and claim their reward from the info broker for their heroic efforts.

NPCs:

<<Injured Broker>>
An injured info broker who went on an expedition to find Cerberus’s lair. He is calm and will relay the information to the players when they express interest in finding the beast.  If asked for his name, he insists that the players cannot afford it.

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Enemies:

<<Hellhound>>
A hound, vicious as the magma it was summoned from. Protects the chamber to Cerberus's den.

HP: 200/200 | DMG: 50

<<Cerberus>>
The guardian of the underworld, a three headed canine beast.

Head #1: HP: 200/200 | DMG: 40
Head #2: HP: 200/200 | DMG: 40
Head #3: HP: 200/200 | DMG: 40

Abilities:

• Triple Threat | Each head functions as its own entity, with its own health bar.  <<Cerberus>> makes a separate attack per head still alive. 
• Glowing Maw | The fiery jaws of the beast leave targets sundered. On MD 9-10, the Cerberus will ignore 50% (rounded up) of the target’s Mitigation and inflict Burn on them for two rounds dealing 10 unmitigated damage per turn.
   

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Epilogue:

Spoiler

Once the Cerberus is dead, players make their way out of Inferno Cave and back to Knorilt Village, where the info broker will reward them for the information they've collected on the Cerberus.

 

[Cardinal 0]

Floor 9
<<Gatekeeper of Fire>>
Party Limit: 4 | 20+ Posts
Prerequisite: Must have completed <<Guardian of Fire>>
Repeatable for standard thread rewards, and <<Cerberus Etching>>

Quest Rewards:

• 3500 Experience Points
• 7500 col
• Each player receives:
  • Cerberus Etching (Unique Material)
    • Removes one enhancement on a weapon and replaces it with Burn. (This effect cannot override the Burn enhancement cap. Consumed on use.)
• POTENTIAL REWARD | If Cerberus, Inferno's Rage, used Blazing Bite at least once during the quest
  • Unlock <<TECH-G>> collected sword art.

Requirements:

• Defeat 3 <<Infernal Hell Hounds>>
• Defeat <<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>>

Summary:

With the count of years behind the players stacking up higher and higher, so too are they encountering mutated versions of the more typical respawning bosses. First it was the Wasp Queen, then it was Avalanche, then Sand Shark. Now, it appears that even Cerberus has gotten one of Cardinal’s premium facelifts, reborn as <<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>>. While the previous iteration of this boss was aggressive, it is said that the new and improved version is on an unprecedented level of danger. Facing it is not an endeavor for the faint of heart.

That being said, the rewards for defeating this new and improved Cerberus are considered well worth the risks involved. It is said that overcoming Cerberus will grant one the means to make their weaponry truly extraordinary. What’s more, rumors have begun circulating that those who know how to properly manipulate the boss’ AI will walk away with an exclusive skill that can bolster their offensive power beyond typically thought possible.

Will you accept the challenge, and face off against Cerberus one more time?

Outline: 

Volcano's Effect: Due to the extreme heat, each player will suffer 30 unmitigatable damage on their posts while in combat during this thread. This effect can be ignored if the player has the <<Survival>> extra skill active, or the Fireproof or Flame Aura enhancements on worn equipment.

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Enemies:

<<Infernal Hell Hound>>
These mobs will always travel in packs, working in teams to protect one another and their alpha. Though they won’t typically pick fights with those stronger than themselves (without good reason), they’ll descend upon those weaker with a tenacity and coordination unrivaled by other predators of the floor.

HP: 450/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

Abilities:

• Burning Bite | On successful attacks, the player is afflicted with T4 Burn. (56 unmitigatable damage per turn for 2 turns.)
• Boiling Hide | On successful attacks against an Infernal Hell Hound, the player receives 25 thorns damage. Successful critical attacks against Infernal Hell Hounds increases damage received by the player to 40. This damage is negatable by Fireproof.
• Infernal Soul |Deals additional damage. (+25 minor crit | +50 major crit)

 

<<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>>
Alpha to its brethren, this boss commands a small army of less powerful hounds that will work to defend it until its last breath. Sporting three heads, adventurers have found this boss to be particularly difficult to kill. Not only are its stats high, but it will enthusiastically fight with all three heads at once, making it difficult to find safe openings with which to strike.

Cerberus, Inferno's Rage (Head #1) HP: 650/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2
Cerberus, Inferno's Rage (Head #2) HP: 650/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2
Cerberus, Inferno's Rage (Head #3) HP: 650/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2

Abilities:

• Bloodless | This boss is immune to all status ailments.
• Bringing Hell | This boss can attack once per turn for each head active.
• Limited Availability | Players can only target one head at a time. This also extends to AoE attacks.
• Burning Bite | On Cerberus' successful attacks, the player is afflicted with T4 Burn. (56 unmitigatable damage per turn for 2 turns.) This ailment is negatable by Fireproof.
• Boiling Hide | On successful attacks against Cerberus, the player receives 30 thorns damage. Successful critical attacks against Cerberus increases damage received by the player to 50. This damage is negatable by Fireproof.
• Infernal Punishment | On a critical attack, heads of Cerberus that have not yet attacked for that turn will gain additional damage and 50% Phase for their attack that turn. (+25 on minor crit | +75 on major crit)
• Blazing Bite | If all three heads are reduced to 150 HP or less without any having been destroyed, <<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>> will howl with all three heads, summoning 3 <<Infernal Hell Hounds>> to come to its aid as a Free Action. They attack immediately, as part of the same post. Damage from new applications of Burning Bite is now doubled. (112 unmitigatable damage per turn for 2 turns.)  
   

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Epilogue: 
If <<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>> did not use <<Blazing Bite>>:

Spoiler

With the boss defeated, the volcanic activity in the area appears to simmer down, and the players are no longer harmed by its debilitating effects. A panel appears, informing the players of the quest’s completion, listing the quest rewards and experience gained. 

If <<Cerberus, Inferno’s Rage>> used <<Blazing Bite>>:

Spoiler

Once the boss and its ilk are destroyed, the debilitating effects of the volcano will subside, and the roiling air will no longer harm the players. A panel appears, informing the players of the quest’s completion, along with an alert beneath the quest rewards that indicates the <<Blazing Bite>> skill has been unlocked in their skill tree.