Mission:Tip - An Unearthly Shard

An Unearthly Shard
Alignment Mission
Type	Alignment Tip
Place	Rogue Isles
Available to	Villains and Rogues
Level range	20–29
Choice	Villain or Rogue

An Unearthly Shard (20-29)

You find a chipped shard on the ground. It almost looks like just another piece of pavement until you notice some odd runes on the side of it. You do some investigating as to what exactly this shard could possibly be...

Your investigations turn up information that this is a chunk hewn off of the Table of Dre'eal'azor, an eldritch artifact said to have the ability to control powerful entities of the underworld. Some time ago it was split into several shards to prevent anyone from using its full power.

As you wonder what to do with it, a nearby thug lunges at you, trying to stab you with a small knife! You easily dispatch the thug and question who sent him. Turns out he is one of Mangle's hired goons. The man easily spills everything to you. Mangle has several other pieces of the tablet and is trying to acquire yours - by any means!

You almost feel embarassed for Mangle - is he so idiotic to think this lowly thug could take you down? Regardless, if he thinks so lowly of you, perhaps it's time to really put this creature in his place - and also take several pieces of the tablet for yourself! It could always be handy - in case you stumble across more pieces of the artifact later on.

Then again, do you really want to go through the trouble of dealing with Mangle? It'll be much more profitable to just find someone who would be interested in buying the shard - no doubt there are plenty of demon summoners in the Isles who would kill - literally - for this. Selling them the shard will make you an easy profit and put this whole mess on someone else's shoulders.

Villain Acceptance

Briefing

Mangle may believe he has a place amongst the rest of the important people in the Rogue Isles, but that two-bit circus side-show attraction has another thing coming. There's no room for someone like him to try to step above his station, and you're just the person to show him why.

If Mangle thinks even for one second that he can send some two-bit thug to take you down, then he's got another thing coming. You're going to storm wherever he's hiding, beat him down, and then take any of the shards he's collected.

• Bring the pain to Mangle!

You have a pretty good idea where you can find Mangle's pathetic excuse for a lair. It'll be easy enough to burst in there and take whatever you want for yourself.

Unnecessary Solicitation

If Mangle was smart, he'd leave his lair and just give you the shards - though that wouldn't be any fun at all, would it?

Mission Objective(s)

You can hear the slow movements of slag golems echo in the caverns. It looks like Mangle has somehow gained control over them.

Not that they'll be able to stop you, of course.

• Take Mangle's shards for yourself!
  • Find the chest containing Mangle's shards!
  • Defeat Mangle!

You've crushed Mangle and taken the shards he has collected for yourself - all in all, a good day for you. Not so much for Mangle.

Enemies

• Slag Golems

Notable NPCs

• Mangle (Rogues Gallery Boss) (Enemy)
• Overdrive (Rogues Gallery Boss) (Enemy)

Slag Golem dialogue

Before combat:

Slag Golem 1: Mangle find the source?

Slag Golem 2: Not know - but he say it same source as ours.

Combat start:

Slag Golem 1: Character! Feel the coral call out for your blood!

Ambush! Overdrive will ambush after the above group of Slag Golems is defeated.

Overdrive dialogue 1

Combat start: Character, a fiend like you must not get his / her hands on the artifacts - or poor Mangle!
75% health: Ugh...just wait...one second Character...hear me out...
Overdrive turns friendly at this point and can be talked to like a contact.

The Compassion of Overdrive

You fought the heroine Overdrive deep beneath the caverns of Mangle's lair. She tried preaching to you that Mangle had to be saved, though all she was doing was getting in the way.

It is curious though that someone as weak as her was trying to meddle in your affairs - just why exactly does she seem so focused on saving Mangle?

Overdrive

Briefing

Mangle is a poor, tortured creature - he doesn't know what he's doing!

Please, I'll give you anything you want - and I'll make sure to get the artifacts away from him. If you go in there and bear him down, it will only make things worse for everyone!

Mangle needs compassion, not anger!

• You're barking up the wrong tree - now out of my way! (This will cause Overdrive to turn hostile again)

You leave me no choice then, Character!

• Hah!

Overdrive dialogue 2

Combat start: I'll defeat you, somehow, if it means saving Mangle and the city!
On defeat: Medi-porter...activate...you're making a huge...mistake...Character...!

Mangle dialogue

Before combat: Something isn't right...why hasn't that thug returned with the shard? Character should be a pushover anyway...all bark, no bite!
Combat start: Ah...Character...I see I underestimated you. I'll just have to put you down myself!
75% health: Any plans you have for that artifact are far too short-sighted when compared to my own!
50% health: You and all the others have no idea of what I'm capable of!
25% health: This is all just the start, Character! Do you think I'll just back down if I'm beaten here?!
On defeat: You haven't won...anything! This is all just the beginning...of something glorious...!

Debriefing

You step out of Mangle's lair and back into the somewhat sunny air of the Isles. All the shards in your possession suddenly glow, snapping together. You can see just how many shards remain to be collected before the artifact is fully formed.

Perhaps when you've acquired the full artifact, you first victim will be Mangle.

Rogue Acceptance

Briefing

It's somewhat irritating that Mangle is already trying to steal the the shard you found - you barely had it for a few minutes!

While it might bring someone vast power over demons, it isn't something you're really interested in - frankly this small shard is more trouble than it's worth. If you did some footwork, you could probably find someone in the Isles who would be interested in buying the shard off of you, especially if you play it up to be something very important and valuable. After that, all this trouble with Mangle will be their problem - and you'll be free to spend all the money you earn from the drop off.

• Find a buyer for the shard!

You receive some offers for the shard, but none of them are too lucrative. Eventually one offer comes through from the villain Stardusk. She's offering top dollar for the shard and has arranged the payment to be made inside of a warehouse she owns. While it sounds simple, you know the Rogue Isles - something will happen today to cause this to be more painful than it should be.

Unnecessary Solicitation

You still need to get to the warehouse to make a deal with Stardusk.

Mission Objective(s)

You hear the sound of stone slamming against the warehouse walls. Slag golems! Of course, it has to be slag golems.

• Make a deal with Stardusk!
  • Find Stardusk!
  • Bring Stardusk to her safe!

You were able to get the shard to Stardusk and also get your money for the job - now the Circle and Mangle are Stardusk's problem!

Enemies

Slag Golems

Circle of Thorns

Notable NPCs

• Stardusk (Rogues Gallery Boss) (Non-combat ally)

Stardusk rescue dialogue

Before combat

Stardusk: Mangle is responsible for this, isn't he?! I'll tear him apart and make him pay!

Stardusk: Character, give me a hand if you want your cash!

Once freed

Stardusk: Thanks for the help. These golems have made a mess out of this entire place!

Stardusk: I won't be of any use to you in a fight like this, but I KNOW Mangle sent them.

Stardusk: If you can get me to my safe, I'll get you the money you need.

Stardusk random dialogue

Stardusk: It's going to take forever to clean this place up. If I paid you enough, would you do it for me?
Stardusk: ...I suppose not.

---

Stardusk: These Slag Golems are really irritating. Though Mangle might be onto something with using them...

Ambush! On the way to the safe, groups of Circle of Thorns will start appearing.

Circle of Thorns ambush dialogue

Ambush start

Circle of Thorns: Character has the shard! Retrieve it and alert the others!

Stardusk: Great, the Circle want this shard too now? This is REALLY starting to get annoying.

On approach

Circle of Thorns: This shall teach him a lesson - no one refuses the Circle of Thorns!

Circle of Thorns: Keep those Slag Golems back - Character should arrive shortly.

Combat start

Circle of Thorns: That shard will serve us well in the war with the Rikti - we will have it!

Circle of Thorns: You will give us the shard Character!

Defeated

Stardusk: You're handy to have around Character, I should hire you more often for things!

Stardusk at the safe dialogue

Opening the safe

Stardusk: Alright... there's your cash.

Stardusk: Ah... and here's the shard! Excellent. Good doing business with you, Character.

Debriefing

You walk out from Stardusk's ruined warehouse with much more money than you walked in there with. She didn't mind too much the fact that other factions were after the item - Stardusk was focused on whatever her next goal might be.

As long as whatever she's planning doesn't get in your way, then it's all good.