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A Journey to the East

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Rondstat

Rondstat

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So, this fell off my priority list for a while, but it's still something I very much plan on fleshing out!

Actually, shortly after posting this and receiving some excellent feedback from AppleiQuest and Omnis, I created a revised quest outline, and fully mapped out mechanics, rewards, place descriptions, even made an extremely simplified version of the main puzzle/minigame using my comically rudimentary knowledge of python. However, by the time I had got to the dialogue, I had become a bit tired of the whole enterprise.

But, now that a quest runelabs is coming up, Ima get that all sorted out, and try to post the whole thing here. For now, I'll post my updated quest outline. It has some pretty substantial changes from the story posted here, but it still hits a lot of the same beats. Hopefully those who read the story will enjoy this quest concept, too.

23-Jun-2015 20:45:30

Rondstat

Rondstat

Posts: 2,770 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Journey to the East


Difficulty:
Intermediate
Length:
Medium

Requirements


Quests
•Ghosts Ahoy
•Kennith's Concerns

Skills
•27 Agility
•12 Farming
•31 Fishing
•31 Herblore
•26 Thieving
•31 Summoning
•25 Woodcutting

Combat
•3 combatants who use abilities and scaled combat
•Dodge attacks from one very powerful monster

Items
•Combat gear may be useful

Starting Point
This quest can be started by speaking to Pirate Jeh Ni at the Port Phasmatys docks (appears after all quest requirements have been met).

23-Jun-2015 20:50:01

Rondstat

Rondstat

Posts: 2,770 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Ak Har***'s younger sister Pirate Jeh Ni arrives in Phasmatys to inform him their father has died, and the people of their home need him. Ak reluctantly agrees to return, and we accompany him to Haranu, his ancestral homeland, and seat of his family's Khanate. As we disembark, we are assaulted by a group of Death Lotus Assassins, and must deal with them before making our way to the Haranu Estate.

We learn the assassins were sent by Cao, former advisor to the late Khan Haranu, who has absconded to Ren Bo with the Khan's former vassals and personal guard. He intends to assassinate the heirs in the Haranu family, and has established a naval blockade around the western side of the island, to cripple his foes. A bad frost has ruined the latest harvest, and the native glinting carp are inedible - the island is slowly starving.

Meanwhile, the mysterious Khan to the east has been eying Har***'s weaknesses, and has sent spies to infiltrate the island. While he is not openly hostile, Jeh Ni knows he has a powerful seasinger in his employ, and fears he may take advantage and expand his territory when Haranu is weakest.

Our first task is to identify the spies from the Island that Reflects the Moon, from among the villagers on Haranu. However, they are very scared by the strife that's been occurring, and are unlikely to give us information on any of their neighbors. We determine the identities of the spies by observing inconsistencies, which may appear in their dialogue, in environmental features, or in skilling activities around the village. Accused spies are sent to the Haranu estate for judgment, and we must decide whether to execute or spare them.

23-Jun-2015 20:51:13

Rondstat

Rondstat

Posts: 2,770 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
When we return to the estate, we discover that Cao's blockade has become more offensive, and his fleet of junks is closing in on the island. Jeh Ni has a well-armed pirate warship docked at Haranu, but no crew to run it. She is forced to conscript villagers as crew, with the adventurer directing them. What ensues is a 'tower defence' style minigame, with the player using various weapons to repel two waves of enemy ships.

With the fleet destroyed, we are tasked with infiltrating Ren Bo and taking out Cao once and for all. We take a Death Lotus uniform as a disguise (taken from the assassins at the start of the quest), and sail to the much smaller island. From speaking to the other assassins and guards milling about the camp, we learn of Cao's three daifu: Lin, who is extremely paranoid and has a deep, irrational fear of oni; Min, who is blind, but whose ears are tuned to even the smallest creak; and Jin, a particularly short dwarf who actually originated from the west.

With this information we enter Cao's fortress, which is a series of corridors patrolled by the *aifu with Cao at the centre. As we navigate the fortress, we utilize three main environmental features which allow us to hide from approaching daifu: Tatami mats, which dampen our sound and hide us from Min; Cabinets, which are crafted with the visage of an Oni and hide us from Lin; and Columns, which we can climb on top of to hide us from Jin. On the way, we also encounter a cage, containing a captive Gu wise man, whom we can choose to either free or ignore. We finally reach the inner sanctum and take out Cao.

23-Jun-2015 20:51:56

Rondstat

Rondstat

Posts: 2,770 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
If we freed the Gu
We return with the Gu to Haranu, and discover that the neighboring Khan has chosen this moment to strike. The Gu, in gratitude for his freedom, teaches us an ancient technique to let us temporarily commune with sea monsters. We return to the beach to face off against the huge sea serpent sent to conquer Haranu. With the aid of Jeh Ni and Ak Har***'s cannons, we subdue the beast, and when it is disoriented, we use the Gu's technique to enter its mind and free it from its seasinger master, learning about its long-ago manipulation by the Dragonkin along the way. The wyrm returns to the sea and the day is saved.

If we did not free the Gu
When we return to Haranu, we find a particularly harsh storm brewing, and learn that the neighboring Khan has chosen this moment to strike. At the beach, we face off against the huge sea serpent sent to conquer Haranu with the aid of Jeh Ni's cannon and Ak Har***'s trebuchet. When its head appears, we attempt to deal the finishing blow, but the Gu appears on the shore, having escaped in the confusion on Ren Bo (no thanks to us), and orders us to stop while he communicates with the dying creature. The Gu uses his insight to learn about the legacy of these giant wyrms, and the Dragonkin who used them for experiments many ages ago. Finally, the creature dies of its injuries and the island is safe.

With the island now free of external threats, Jeh Ni entreats her brother to ascend to his rightful place as the eldest heir, Khan of Haranu. He refuses, however, and claims that Jeh Ni's courage in the face of adversity, leadership of her people in the face of a superior foe, and commitment to her home all make her the better choice. We return with Ak Haranu to Phasmatys, and leave Jeh Ni as Har***'s Khan.

23-Jun-2015 20:52:47

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