Mission:Tip - Merlin's Magical Minute

Merlin's Magical Minute
Alignment Mission
Type	Alignment Tip
Place	Rogue Isles
Available to	Vigilantes
Level range	40–50
Choice	Villain

Merlin's Magical Minute

Alignment Mission

You find a rough cut of an episode of the popular children's show involving magic and puppets, Merlin's Magical Menagerie. This episode features a cameo of Desdemona, the former demon-binder now turned 'hero'. This rough cut doesn't appear to be edited yet, so it still contains all the errors that happen during filming:

Crying Child: [crying] It's going to hurt me. - Desdemona: [hugging the child] No, sweetheart, I've made it go away. It can't hurt you. - Crying Child: Thank you, Ms. Desdemona. I see what you mean that summoning demons is no joke! - Desdemona - [pointing at the other children] And safety is no laughing matter. [children wave at the camera, cut to credits]

Desdemona is now doing children's public service announcements? The same woman who directed the Viscount of Ruination to destroy an orphanage just to spite the heroes of Paragon City? She's convinced your peers that she's turned a new leaf, and now she's working on the kids? Unfortunately for her, in your hands is the proof she's evil. Well, after you're done editing the tape, that is.

Villain: 'Correct' the episode to show what you know is true

You can't even count how many times you've responded to outbreaks of demonic entities, let alone how many times Desdemona was behind them. It's one thing to convince guillible heroes that she's no longer a threat, but it's another to brainwash small children. However, if you were to edit this tape so that it shows what you really know was going on in Desdemona's mind... then it would be really hard for her to keep tricking people into believing what she wants them to believe. You'll be the one controlling the truth, not her.

• Edit the tape of the children's show

The best place to take care of this would be the Channel Eight broadcasting affiliates here in the Rogue Isles. You can edit the tape from there, then send it across their network - beaming it into everyone's home so that all the kiddies... And parents can see what she 'really' is.

Unnecessary Solicitation

You don't want to wait on getting this video edited. The best place to take care of this would be the Channel Eight studios, who broadcast here in the Rogue Isles to avoid taxes. You can edit the tape from there, then send it across their network - beaming it into everyone's home so that all the kiddies... And parents can see what she 'really' is.

Mission Objective(s)

It looks like Channel Eight takes their security seriously here in the Rogue Isles. Instead of hiring people like the Consortium Guards, they've contracted Crey Industries instead. That means you're going to need to find the head of security in order to access their video-editing machines

• Edit the children's show!
  • Defeat the Security Chief
  • Edit the tape on the video editing equipment
  • Stop the Security Chief once and for all!

Now that you have the footage from the security cameras, it should be safe to leave without anyone knowing you were the one behind telling the public the real truth.

Video Editing Passcode

This passcode is a root-access level key to all of the video editing and broadcasting equipment throughout the building. What was intended to immediately stop unwanted broadcasts will be used to do the exact opposite now that it's in your hands.

Enemies

Paragon Protectors

Notable NPCs

• Station Security Chief

Station Security Chief dialogue

Before combat:

Station Security Chief: You are not authorized to be in this part of the building.

Combat start:

Station Security Chief: This is as far as you go.

Video Editing Equipment interaction

Interacting with Video Editing Equipment

This terminal is connected to a vast array of video editing devices throughout the building. A variety of functions are available to you from here, ranging from audio, video, and even emergency broadcasting tests, of all things.

• Alter the video by splicing scenes together

You identify a number of scenes from the episode that, if arranged in a different way, would change the context of the entire episode. Currently the video shows the following:

[Desdemona banishing a demon then bending down and hugging a crying child]

[child talks to Desdemona, Desdemona smiles and assures the child, child slowly smiles feeling comforted]

[Desdemona points to the children dramatically, causing the children to wave in excitement]

• Arrange the footage to vilify Desdemona.

You arrange the scenes so that it now appears as the following:

[reverse loop of Desdemona summoning, not banishing a demon]

[Desdemona pointing to the children]

[children waving in slo-motion, appearing to gesture 'no']

[Desdemona pointing at the children again] - [slo-motion reverse of child smiling, causing the child to look like terror is crossing the child's face as it begins to cry]

[Desdemona slo-motion smiling]

[Desdemona hugging the child loop played quickly back and forth to make it look like she's violently attacking the child, or perhaps draining its soul]

[fade to credits].

• Now add audio and dubbing

Using a number of audio tools, you dub over the existing audio to now match the scenes after they've been edited:

Desdemona: My minions from Hell will help me to feast upon your souls.

[points] Which of you children will be food first?

Children: [waving, in unison] No, please, someone save us!

Desdemona: [points again]Then I choose to feast on your soul first.

Child: [child starts crying] No, please. I trust you, Ms. Desdemona!

Desdemona:[smiles] Everyone does...

Desdemona: [attacks child] And I will feast upon ALL of your miserable souls!!! MWHUHAHAHA!

• Finally, broadcast the new video into the homes of Paragon City.

You activate the emergency broadcast system, except you replace the standard video with the one you just edited. At this moment, everyone throughout Paragon City should be watching the events. Though they may not be factual, you know them to be true.

Suddenly, security alarms start going off throughout the building with a message from the Security Chief directing the search efforts for your person.

• Take down the Security Chief again!

Station Security Chief dialogue

Before combat:

Station Security Chief: Even if the intruder gets away, I'm holding the security footage, so we can find them later.

Combat start:

Station Security Chief: Or... The intruder could come straight to me!

At 75% Life:

Station Security Chief: I came prepared this time!

At 50% Life:

Station Security Chief: Men! Apprehend this trespasser immediately!

7th Generation Paragon Protector: There! We've got the target in our sights!

7th Generation Paragon Protector: You're under arrest, Character!

At 25% Life:

Station Security Chief: Good thing I had ANOTHER stimpack!

Debriefing

Even if you had to change the facts in order to tell the truth, you have the best interests of everyone in mind. Sometimes, in order to do the right thing, you have to do the exact opposite.

Hmmm... Perhaps that doesn't really make much sense, but with a little editing, you could MAKE that sentence make sense.