- The Job:
- Job Title: Dethrone the Rat King
Rank: A
Player Requirements: At least one A-Rank mage
Job Requirements: 14,000 Words | Defeat the Rat King
Job Location: Capital Crocus
Job Description: This is a bit embarrassing, but we exterminators need to solicit the assistance of local guild mages. Crocus has a bit of a... a rat problem. Well, a "rat problem" is really underselling the issue, otherwise we would handle it. A man smelling of death emerged from the sewer at the center of the city and proclaimed himself to be the new king of Fiore - specifically the Rat King. He had a kind of... long black scepter with a red orb at the end that he was using the control the rats I think. The Rat King also said that if he was not recognized as the new monarch of Fiore then he would unleash a plague of rats upon first the capitol and then the entire nation. I'm not sure if he's capable of such a thing, but we have been needing to devote more manpower to exterminations recently, so I'm not sure he's bluffing. I think he's hiding somewhere in the Crocus sewers, but they're ancient and you're better off finding our way out of a labyrinth. We haven't even mapped out the whole thing and there are plenty of hidden chambers due to some... creative architecture on the part of the original builders of the city. Probably at the command of the king, but who knows. Anyways I can give you an incomplete map but it's up to you to do the rest. Thanks, Frank.
Enemies:
Weak: Your Sense of Direction - The Crocus sewers make the Sevenwood look like a single dirt road. It's very easy to get lost down here and the map Frank gave you is only somewhat complete. You might have to fill in the gaps somewhat before you manage to find where the Rat King is hiding.
Normal: Hidden Chambers - These are uncharted chambers hidden within the depths of the Crocus sewers and were put here at the command of the first king for some reason. These chambers contain everything from alchemy labs to chests to living spaces complete with water filtration systems and plant beds. There also may be booby traps, so proceed with caution.
Strong: A Giant Rat - This Giant Rat has been living in the Crocus sewers for about as long as they have been around. Presently, it serves the Rat King and patrols around the sewer to stop intruders. Its thick skin and tenacity makes it a near insurmountable foe for most mages. With its sense of smell it can find even invisible targets. The Giant Rat's greatest weakness is its size and its patrol route; the rat is unable to follow you through the smaller passages within the sewer and it patrols around in a cycle which begins and ends at the entrance to the Rat King's "throne room" which, lucky for you, is a smaller passage.
Boss: The Rat King - This man was once a sewer worker who found an old Fioren relic in a hidden room underneath the capitol. The relic he found was a staff created by an eager court wizard who believed his creation to be a failure, thus throwing it into the gutter to be washed into the sewer and forgotten. His "throne room" is large and lit with torches and he can be found sitting upon a throne of rats complete with his scepter in one hand and a crown of rat bones on his head. There are many small pipes leading into the room that are too small for you to fit through, though just big enough for rats to use. The Rat King uses the aforementioned relic to control the rats around him and effectively has "Rat-Make" magic. He's a bit deranged, as well. Be careful, the rats are poisonous; this fight is best ended quickly.
Reward: 50k Jewels | Respect of the Rats: With their king dethroned, the rats look to his usurper as their new monarch. Any rats present in a thread around individuals with "Respect of the Rats" will be completely obedient to said individual. Anyone with "Respect of the Rats" may speak to rats as if they were speaking their native language to another individual. If two or more individuals with "Respect of the Rats" are present in a thread, the rats will be too scared to come out and thus won't be obedient to anyone.
- Approval:
He had no proof. He had no real reason, or any real evidence in the slightest. At the very least, not a single admissible and tangible argument in any way to prove it beyond spite. However, there was no way for any person to convince Arsene otherwise: this was a punishment. After his last job with the Chariman, despite all his hard work and effort, ended with a chastise(threat), he didn't expected to receive another job invitation. Rather, the context of receiving it after that made it clear it was anything but an invitation. It was a demand, so of course he accepted it. As he read through the assignment, every part of his body sunk, melted into a wad of disgust and fear. They were going to go into the sewers and kill a rat king? If there was any doubt this wasn't a punishment, it was dispelled as he read through a description straight from his nightmares. He had no idea how anyone in Hidden Blades would know about his dirt aversion, but at this point he also knew better than to question anything inside their knowledge network. The Chairman definitely had found out, and he was definitely leveraging it as a punishment.
Repulsion didn't even begin to describe his emotions as the Troubadour trudged through the dank sewers. Humid, pungent, and grimy at every turn, he feared touching anything in case it might permanently infect him. Hanging close to the mason walls, he avoided the brown stream to his right, pulsing with the remains and excrement of every living soul in Crocus. Maybe, when it was maintained and in it's heyday, this would have been a feet of architectural wonder. At least, the quality seen in the mason walls would indicate that. However, if the maps he had spent the last week putting together said anything, it may have been built well, but it's design was far from it. Twists turns and irrelevant bends plagued every corner, and had he not memorized the layout, he likely would never find his way out of here. Even now, he feared if he lost focus the way out would be lost as well, and he was waiting by the entrance for his partner.
Arsene had thought long and hard about his superiors words. It was true, he lacked experience working with others, and his methods might not mesh well with how others operate. However, wasn't the principle of Hidden Blades that it was made of skilled members? Members who could be trusted to handle their own and keep up their end without you worrying and fretting over their every breath? That debate had raged on inside him this whole time, though it was more a thinly veiled excuse for him to defend his pride. Realizing this, he decided to concede the lost and play as his boss intended. With thorough, detailed communication. To prove this, Arsene had been the one to compile and establish their plan for the job. A 52 page, front and back, written report detailing the job, in his perfect, smallest font. Arsene may have accepted the loss, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a bit spiteful in return. The report was truly a masterpiece; a weeks worth of investigation and research, cross referencing maps made by various local and officials to form probably the most accurate map of the sewers to exist, details on all the know creatures and wildlife inside, plans on how to handle any outcome and multiples ideas for how to structure the job. It was truly his magnum opus, and a great display of his skill as an informant. It may have been partially driven by spite, but Arsene wasn't one to ever pass up an attempt to show off, nor let his emotions lead to shoddy work. Now, he waited in the designated meeting spot, listed on page 33, line 7, detailing the meeting place to discuss going forward with the plan. Of course, he'd memorized the whole report. Leaning against eh wall, he really wondered how sealed off this armor was against bacteria, and what cleaning agents he'd need after it.
WC: 688
Total WC: 688/14,000
@Artemis Dagger