The Red Knight's Blade (Part One) Difficulty: Epic Party Size: 1-3 Location: Floor 5 Season: Summer "Aye, you speak of Starshift." Perarde nods knowingly. The sword of Perarde "Ironsides" is legendary in its own right, forged in the crucible of Svarog and used to reap the souls of hundreds upon hundreds of monsters. Made of rare materials only found in the Dungeon itself, Starshift was broken in Perarde's very last battle, before he escaped the Dungeon never to return. The story is told in taverns, much to the man's chagrin, but few have ever asked him if it he really owned the blade or not. As you find out, it is true! Shuffling, he moves to the mantle in the Guild registry, pulling an ornate hilt off a carved mahogany mount made specifically for the weapon. "I have the hilt right here, y'see." He presents you with what remains of Starshift, the hilt and a few fragments left of its blade. What's left of it is shattered and broken, like it had been smashed like glass. The material is darker than the blackest night, yet, when he holds it to the candlelight, it shines like the brightest star in the sky. It's clear that there's nothing in the world quite like it! Yet, instead of proud, Perarde seems melancholy about holding the weapon. "T'aint any use to me any more, now that I can't go into the dungeon. Would it be that someone could fix the ol' thing, I'd gladly let 'em have it." You convince him that you do, in fact, want the blade for your own. "Well, why didn't you say so? But like I said, it needs reforging first. I'll tell you where to get the materials if you're interested, but it's dangerous. Really dangerous, in fact - so much that I don't believe you should go alone." The first material, he states, is a rare gem called Nightquartz. The gem itself is naturally occurring, but impossible to mine regularly without shattering. The technique to acquire Nightquartz without destroying the gem is known only by the hobgoblins of the fifth floor, which is written on a manuscript only in their language. Said manuscript is guarded heavily by the hobgoblins' top blacksmith, who can be said to be one of their most powerful combatants as well. "Ye can do it the hard way or the harder way. Stealth or a full-frontal attack. Hobgoblins are scarier than your average goblin, of course. But at the same time, good luck trying to pull that manuscript from the overseer's fingers while he's alive. O'course, you could wait until he falls asleep... Ah, but it's your call. Do what yer best at." Studying the hobgoblins' movements would be time-consuming but less risky. Fighting the hobgoblins would be extremely dangerous, but rewarding at the same time - you know hobgoblin ear is a great alchemical component which could be sold for a great amount. "Next, you'll have to actually mine the Nightquartz, so you'll have to bring a mining pick and an ore sack along. Bring back twenty or so pieces, and make sure they're big pieces too!" He chuckles heartily. It may take a little while for you to get used to the technique - you grimace at the idea of all the Nightquartz you might waste just trying to salvage a few good pieces. "Anyways, come back when you've got it and I'll tell you about what you'll need to do next." (Optional) Stealth into the Hobgoblin Forge. (Optional) Defeat Monster Rex - Hobgoblin Blacksmith. (Optional) Acquire 5 Hobgoblin Ears. Acquire "Nightquartz Mining" manuscript. Mine 20 Nightquartz fragments on Floor 5. Return to Sir Perarde. After completing the quest, you will be referred to the next quest. "The Red Knight's Blade (Part Two)" This quest may only be completed once.
