We're delighted to announce the release of QANGA DEMO V2. We've put an enormous amount of time and effort into creating the best possible experience. Our small team of 5 people is fully dedicated to development, and we thank you for your patience and continued support.
đ What's New in Update Demo
Exploration at the Heart of Gameplay:
New cyborgs will awaken in East Africa, in a Refuel Tower. You will learn how to use your cyborg and survive in this vast, rich universe.
Your main goal will be to prosper and find the mysterious Yellow Wall by traversing Earth's surface with various vehicles.
Redesigned Driving Models and Earth's Surface:
All driving models, whether for flying or driving, have been robustly redesigned.
The Earth's surface is dotted with Refuel Towers that serve as travel relays, where players can refuel, accept contracts, and sell items.
A vast tram network connects these Refuel Towers, making travel across the world easier.
The WarpStations orbiting the Earth have also been completely redone.
Combat System and Sound Improvements:
The shooting system, some shooting animations, and all weapon sounds have been revamped for a better experience.
The VOIP and all in-game sounds now feature 3D binaural audio with HRTF for enhanced immersion.
Increased NPC Presence and Enemy Variety:
Vendors, contract givers, and other NPCs are now much more prevalent in the QANGA universe.
New enemies have been introduced: the Sanglines, the infected, cyborg pirates, the autonomous, and various animals.
New Features and Environment:
A parcel delivery system has been set up across the Refuel Tower and Warp networks.
The Earth's surface is rich with abandoned buildings, factories, stores, residences, etc., offering many opportunities for loot and discovery.
Detailed Patch Notes for Demo Update
General Rendering Optimization:
Material, Mesh and Post-Processing Optimization: Significant improvements have been made to materials, post-processing, lighting, and various systems, resulting in a 50% optimization. You will notice substantial performance enhancements compared to the V1 demo released in November.
Lumen: Lumen is now disabled by default, but you can enable it via the graphics options. However, due to Unreal Engine 5âs limitations with large worlds like QANGA, Lumen requires better integration with LargeWorldCoordinate to be used natively.
Upscalers: Integration of FSR, DLSS2/3, and XESR (including Frame Generation) for improved performance.
Graphics Settings Interface: The graphics settings interface has been redesigned.
The settings are permissive, so you can optimize the game specifically for your configuration.
Complete Revision of the Flight Model:
Physics Overhaul: The physics of the ships have been completely revised, enhancing mass realism, power, lift, space, and atmospheric flight, and maneuverability based on a virtual pad at the center of your screen.
Flight Information Interface: The interface displaying flight information has been redesigned to match industry standards.
Collision Damage: Collision damage is now balanced according to speed and other factors.
Inventory: An inventory has been added to each ship.
Overhaul of Anti-Gravity Driving Model (Override):
Physics Adjustment: The physics of anti-gravity vehicles have been adjusted, with a robust logic structure allowing for future improvements.
Height Adjustment: New functionality allows you to adjust the vehicleâs height relative to the ground using the mouse wheel + CTRL hold, helping to avoid larger obstacles.
Resistance and Damage System: More realistic and less punitive resistance and damage system.
Vehicle Weapon Use: You can now use your weapons through the vehicle window.
Vehicle Power: Adjusted the power of different car models.
Improved Player Attachment System to Moving Platforms:
Stability: Players will no longer be ejected from vehicles at high speeds or during zone transitions, whether in space, the atmosphere, or during a Warp jump.
General Improvements to Items and Interactions:
Object Management: Enhanced ability to manage a large number of items in the universe.
Backpack Items: Items in a backpack will automatically drop to the ground when sold, deposited, or exchanged.
UI Icons: Standardized interface icons.
Persistence: Persistent objects dropped on the ground in multiplayer universes.
Item Pricing: Adjusted global purchase and resale prices for all in-game items.
Chest Items Improvements:
Protection: Chest items now provide true body protection.
Interface Bar: A new interface bar appears when equipping a chest item.
Helmet Improvements:
Headshot Protection: Some helmets protect against one headshot, while military helmets protect against two.
Enhanced Backpacks:
New Backpack Types: Added normal and military backpacks.
Storage Balancing: Balanced the number of items stored in backpacks. The largest backpack now has 64 slots.
Realistic and Dynamic Environmental Sound Effects:
HRTF Binaural Resonnance: This technology has been added, greatly improving overall sound quality.
Dynamic Sound Rendering: All sound effects are dynamically rendered based on their position in the universe and environment.
VOIP Spatialization: Realistic spatialization and attenuation of voice over IP.
Weapon Sounds: New sound effects for all weapons.
Vehicle and Environmental Sounds: New sound effects for vehicles, garages, doors, and user interface elements.
Contract System:
Contract Availability: Various contracts can be found with NPCs, functioning as secondary missions executable solo or with friends.
Single Contract Limitation: You can only hold one contract at a time, completing one before taking another. Some contracts can be repeated multiple times in a single in-game day.
Rewards: Contracts reward XP, money, and various items.
Cyborg Modules:
Thruster Module: Improved physical behavior of the thruster module in response to gravity. Propulsion now reacts differently depending on the cyborg's speed.
No Velocity Limit: No physical limit to the velocity you can accumulate when falling through the atmosphere.
Stationary Mode: Phase 3 stationary mode has increased execution time.
Thruster Material Consumption: Reduced cost of thruster material consumption.
AI Spawn System:
Increased Danger: Exploration is now more hazardous with the surface of the Earth infested by Sanglines. They become more active at night, seeking out and destroying any living mammals, including cyborgs.
Sangline Enemies:
Sangline Light: Quick and agile, they latch onto you to drag you to the ground and dismember you.
Sangline Medium: Larger and slower, they take more damage and hit harder.
Infected Human: Controlled by a Sangline attached to their head, these enemies are fast but vulnerable at the head.
Infected Human Sentinel: Similar to Infected Humans but with protective gear, making them more resilient.
Mastodon Infected: Formerly Infected Humans, now fully taken over by Sanglines. They are highly durable and deal significant damage, akin to mini-bosses.
Cyborg Pirate Faction: First-generation cyborgs who rebelled against ICLab Industries. They occupy Refuel Towers and camps, attacking on sight.
Soldier: Armed with Nash Rifle, Helmet, Bag.
Sniper: Armed with Nash Sniper, Helmet, Bag.
Leader: Armed with Nash Shotgun, Helmet, Shield, Bag.
Nash Modular System:
Weapon Crafting: Not yet implemented but will be introduced later. Access pre-assembled weapons in the universe, including Nash Pistol, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Sniper, and SMG.
Weapon Balancing: Balanced damage, recoil, and storage costs. Improved visual and sound effects for all weapons.
Tamil AeroTram System:
Transit Network: A comprehensive aerial transit network connects all Refuel Towers, SkyRefuel Towers, and WarpStations in Earthâs orbit. Screens in transit areas and halls of Refuel Towers provide destination information.
Free Transportation: Transport is free but be cautious as some destinations are dangerous, infested with Sanglines and cyborg pirates.
RefuelTower System:
Traveler Hubs: Located at former major city sites, providing essential services for cyborgs: item sales, vehicle garages, synchronization points, contracts, missions, AeroTram access, parcel delivery systems, and more.
Types: Surface RefuelTowers and SkyRefuel Towers. Serve as mini-hubs and gathering points for cyborgs.
WarpStation System:
Space Stations: Located in Earthâs orbit, providing all essential services and serving as Warp distortion destinations. Use them to travel quickly by aiming at a Warp and pressing âU.â
Cave System:
Cave Generation: Various sized caves now appear on Earthâs surface, often infested with Sanglines but rich in loot left by previous explorers.
Achievement System:
Steam Achievements: Added Steam achievements for zone discovery, kill counts, item manipulation, and other actions in both single and multiplayer modes.
YellowWall General Improvements:
Capital Loading Optimization: Improved loading times for the capital.
3D Model Corrections: Fixed several 3D model issues.
Material/Texture Fixes: Corrected various material and texture issues.
Level Design Improvements: Multiple level design enhancements, including roads and sidewalks.
PoleLights: New lighting system simulating distant fog with light decal bake for long distances. Optimized lamppost destruction effects.
Interior Design: Improved store interiors with better item distribution and occlusion fixes. Redesigned residential interiors for better exploration.
Door States: Door states now replicate correctly.
Tram Travel Time Adjustments: Adjusted tram travel times within the city.
PoliceWarning System:
Multiplayer Optimization: Improved robustness and fixed replication issues.
Arrest Delay Adjustments: Adjusted arrest delays and reduced arrest costs. Fixed teleportation positions in prisons.
Prison Level Design: Added prison cell designs to police stations.
Guard Aim Adjustments: Improved guard aiming but requires further work.
Global Storage System:
Storage on Refuel: Each refueltower has its own global storage. If you store an item at the finister refueltower, you can access it anywhere.
Tutorial Level Procedure:
Performance Optimization: Significantly improved performance, with the tutorial now placed in a separate level.
Replayability: Access the tutorial level from the game menu to relearn game functions.
Future Improvements: The tutorial model allows for creating more learning rooms. Currently, only one sub-tutorial is accessible (Passenger ship driving).
Known Issues:
Lumen Distance Origin: Lumen currently does not support long distances, creating global illumination artifacts far from the world origin. This issue will be fixed in future Unreal Engine updates.
Texture Artifact Triangle: Some materials may display triangular reflection artifacts at great distances. This issue will be resolved in future updates.
Contract Failures: Some contracts fail immediately upon acceptance. This issue is under investigation.
Vehicle Owner Replication: Rarely, the position of your vehicle is not correctly replicated to friends. We are investigating this issue.
VO-IP Delay: Audio packets may experience delays. This issue is under investigation.
BackPack Inconsistency: The current logic is based on slots. We plan to rework the inventory system to base it on weight.
We still have many surprises in store, but we prefer to let you discover them yourself. Your feedback is crucial, so please share your impressions on our Steam community or here on Discord. We invite you to join the discord, the community is here to help you understand the game.
If there are less than three item upgrades available to the player, Crossroads events that provide item upgrades will fill the remaining choices with a stamina or focus upgrade (e.g. if the player already has 5 item upgrades, then they will get to choose between an item upgrade, a stamina upgrade and a focus upgrade).
Fixed the game sometimes freezing at the beginning of battle, if the last battle was won with Herosim active
Fixed the player not being able to use Power while in Berserk stance
It's been a long time since the last update, but I want to let everyone know that the work on a new huge update is in progress. A lot of work has been done, and hopefully we will be done with it by the end of July 2024. This update will include some minor fixes and updates, plus we will add a single-player story mode, which will introduce a lot of new game mechanics.
We understand that the current game mode is pretty repetitious and does not have that many game mechanics, so we hope we will be able to fix this situation by introducing a single-player story mode.
Stay tuned for more news, and if you would like to check the dev progress in more detail and see some in-game screenshots, make sure to join our Discord server.
We want to thank you all for participating in the Goblin Cleanup demo and to all of you who added Goblin Cleanup to your wishlist - We reached 100k Wishlist! Your feedback is invaluable, and we truly appreciate your support, making our humble demo one of the most played during SteamNextFest!
We've received an incredible amount of feedback from all over the world. It means a lot to us that so many of you took the time to fill out our forms and share your opinions in the discussions here. Thanks to all of you, we have plenty of feedback that we are reading and analyzing as a team to continue making Goblin Cleanup the best game it can be.
As a reward to our amazing community, we want to share with you Steam Next Fest in Numbers.
We are hosting the âElectoral Kill Raceâ starting June 26, 2024 PDT. This event is open to all players. During the event, players will compete for the number of Kills for each Runner. The Runner with the most Kills will have exclusive Runner & Gauntlet skins awarded to all players on Official Release.
Also, 5 content creators will be supporting a Runner of their choice! The creator that voted on the winning Runner receives prizes to distribute among their community.
Play with your favorite Runner and rack up those Kills!
â Period
Phase 1: June 26 - June 30, 2024 PDT Phase 2: July 6 - July 10, 2024 PDT
*Items obtained during the Open Beta can be carried over to the Official Release version. To do so, you must link your game account with either Discord or MyDearest account.
2: Use the Runner of your choice to increase the Kill count. You can choose from five Runners: Riot, Legacy, Skybolt, Velvet, and Sunshine. Note that the same Runner cannot be selected by more than one person on the same team.
3: Join the community of the content creators for a chance to win additional prizes.
â Reward
At the end of each Phase, the Runner with the highest number of Kills by all users will have exclusive Runner skin and Gauntlet skin given to all players on Official Release. Phase 1: Gold skin Phase 2: Bloody Skin
Also at the end of each Phase, the creator who voted on the winning Runner will receive the following prizes to be distributed amongst their community. Quest 3 x 1 Brazen Blaze DL key x 100 Steam Gift Card $50 x 10
â Notice
No entry is required for this event. Please note that the event may be changed or canceled without prior notice.
Hello pinball friends! It's time for a first update.
I've been busy and programmed almost everything that is needed to run this collection. Each table will have 3 game modes. You can choose whether you want to play with 5 balls or 3 balls. Each table can be played with up to 4 players and you don't have to select this in the menu. Simply press another button when you start the game and the next player is there. There is a training mode that is played for 30 minutes with unlimited balls and a lamp killer mode where the ball has to roll over the lights. These lights give points and extra time. (you know something similar from Zaccaria)
I'm currently working on the second table. The pinball machine is called "Djinn" and is based a little on the stories from 1001 Nights. This table is also a solid state from the late 1980s, so it has a segment display and clear rules. All objects are built and the lights are set. I've created the table rules and apart from a small bug, everything works. Sound and music are 98% finished and the textures are 75% finished. So this table won't take much longer. It's cool, isn't it?
What's still missing for both pinball machines are the Steam adjustments and the achievement icons. When that's all done, I'll start the third table, which will be inspired by the 90s and will have a DMD display.
So things are moving forward!
Unfortunately, it's taking a little longer than Malzbie's Pinball Collection, because the tables are much more realistic and therefore require more work. And as you know, I'm doing it all by myself.
There have been a lot of questions about Only Pinball, so here's a little FAQ.
Are there achievements?
Yes, each table will have 12 achievements. 10 for the normal game, and one each for the training mode and the lamp killer mode.
Are there leaderboards again?
Sure! I'll create a leaderboard for each mode. One for the 3 ball mode, one for the 5 ball mode, one for the time trial and one for the lamp killer mode.
When will Only Pinball be released?
I can't say exactly yet, but it will be this year. As soon as all Steam adjustments have been made and the third table is in the works, the shop will be switched to Early Access. It's important to note that this time there will be no free table and the tables cannot be purchased individually. No, this time the tables will be added gradually at no additional cost.
Why Early Access and not like the old collection with a free pinball table and DLC?
There are several reasons for this. - I've noticed that almost all players who bought one pinball table buy all the pinball tables in the collection anyway. There's only a 1% difference in sales figures. - There are a lot of people who get every free game on Steam, regardless of whether they like it or not. Some of them then give a bad review because they don't even know what a pinball game is. I don't want to see those reviews anymore. - It's easier for me to develop tables without DLC.
I know that Early Access is only good for those who trust me, want to support me or just want to play right away. Unfortunately, everyone else has to wait until it's finished at some point or they think that the price is worth the content.
Can I at least try out the tables?
Sure! There will be a demo where some tables can be tested. Not all of them, because that would make the demo too big. But it will be a good selection that will allow you to see whether it is fun and, above all, whether it will run on your computer.
How many tables will be included in the collection?
That is still open. This collection actually has no upper limit. There will be "at least" 10 completely new tables. And I will also include some old tables from Malzbie's Pinball Collection. These tables will be improved and expanded. Maybe there will simply be a successor to a table with new rules. But I don't know that for sure yet.
Tables from the 80s, 90s and modern times, what does that mean?
This means that the tables are set in a certain era and are intended to be a simulation of possible tables. No visual frills like tracers or dispalys of points above the ball.
The tables from the 80s have segment displays and can only display a little information. The rules are kept quite simple and are usually easy to recognize. They are still fun!
The tables from the 90s have a dot matrix display and can display more complex animations and information. The rules are more complex and the layout is more elaborate.
The tables from the modern times are intended to have a monitor as a display medium. But I'm not quite sure whether it will be powerful enough. In any case, the rules and layout will be complex.
Can I request a theme for a table?
Of course! And you should. I want to work with the community and create pinball tables that people want to play. But I won't create a direct copy of a real pinball machine.
How much will it cost?
I don't know that yet either. The price will be somewhere between 10 and 20 (US $/âŹ). You'll see that once Early Access starts.
So, now you know what to expect. And it's going to be great!
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms - ChaoticEye
Peril at the Greenhow, Part Three
The city guardsmen and magister had just left when Harlow opened Umbertoâs door. Umberto had been sitting at the desk while he gave his statement of events to the guardsmen, eyes still where they were now - on the broken and shattered window frame. The memory played in his head over and over again. The wind catching the hood and revealing the face of his dead sister. Well, possibly dead sister. What stayed in his mind most of all were her eyes. The eyes that had looked to him for protection as a child. But as she stood on that rooftop all she had in them then was hate.
âWeâre ready,â Harlow said when Umberto hadnât addressed him. âWe have the Greenhow Tavern surrounded. When the proprietor, Aeon, returns, weâll move in and arrest her.â
âHow are you so confident?â Umberto said, still not looking away from the hole in the wall. âThat it is this Aeon person? Especially after I have given a statement saying my assumed-to-be-dead sister made an attempt on my life earlier today?â
âAeon is an artificer,â Harlow said, a note of annoyance in his tone. âShe could be using any number of illusionary devices to make you see that.â
Umberto finally looked to the aumarr. âBut why my sister? How would she even know to use that image? This doesnât add up. You are telling me to bake a cake, but giving me the ingredients of a pie.â
Harlow put on a smile that Umberto could see was starting to crack. âAll will be revealed in good time. Trust me.â Umberto opened his mouth to say something, but Harlow put up a hand to stop him. âOnce we have her in custody, I'll make everything clear. You have my word, Umberto. None of this would have been possible without your detective skills to put me on the right path!â
Before Umberto could say anything, Harlow turned on his heel and left the room. âCome,â he said from the hall. âIâll escort you to the tavern!â
Umberto let out a sigh. Something was off. That roaring fire inside him was dwindling now, nearly smothered by the shadow of his sister. After seeing the crime scene things were feeling like they had before six months ago. The world was making sense again as he viewed it from behind the lens of a detective. But Sliver had turned the world back to chaos. Nothing felt right and nothing made sense.
âAre you coming?â Harlow called from down the hall.
âYes,â Umberto said, getting to his feet. âI was just stuck in the mud for a moment.â
Aeon made her way through the crowded market, being sure to look down next to her every so often to make sure Beaky hadnât gotten lost or swept away in the sea of people. Deuce sat on her shoulder, playing look out as always, but she seemed to feel the weight of him more than usual. No, it wasnât that. It was the weight of the deal she had just made. This is really going to set you back, she told herself. It had been a nearly constant thought since leaving Xanatharâs lair.
But not as far back as being dead, she reminded herself.
Yes, this wasnât the best deal she had ever made. But it wasnât the end of her time as a spymaster - that was the important part. It was going to be difficult, but Aeon had every confidence in herself that she could come back from this. Hells, if she hadnât had that confidence in the first place she wouldnât even be in a position to deal with Xanathar. Or have been in a position to have a murderer after you.
There was a tug on Aeonâs coat as Beaky pulled in closer to her. âAre we nearly there?â A group of halflings passed by and the kenku eyed them. âThereâs too many sounds and way too much light.â
Aeon suppressed an eye roll. âItâs not much further now. Weâre just-â She stopped when Deuce tapped her shoulder. The small gold monkey motioned for her to look up, and she followed his gaze, coming to a stop. A small bird flew through the air, its wings flapping in an unnatural way. The sun caught the side of its metallic body, and it glinted for an instant.
This was one of Aeonâs inventions. Not quite a steel defender, but it would follow orders. She used them to get messages out quickly to her agents around the city. It flew with magic, leaving its wings to flap in ways that could be interpreted by the agents.
She counted the flaps in her mind. Once. Thrice. Twice quickly.
âNine Hells.â
Beaky chirped nervously. âWhatâs wrong?â
âThe Greenhow isnât safe.â Questions, plans, and actions all ran through her mind. There could be any number of reasons why the Greenhow was compromised, but there were two very likely reasons at that moment. Still, she needed more information. But she also neededâŚ
She looked back down at Beaky. âChange of plans. Iâm going to the safe house near Trollskull - do you know the one?â He nodded. âGood. I need you to take a message back to Xanathar and then meet me there.â
Beaky gulped and looked like he might cry.
Harlow looked annoyed. Umberto had been waiting with him on a rooftop overlooking the entrance to the Greenhow tavern for nearly four hours. The sun had well set by then, and Umberto was starting to worry more about the rumbling in his stomach than if this Aeon person would actually show up. It didnât help that there were some delicious smells from the tavern below. He did his best not to focus on it or try to figure out what ingredients he was smelling.
âTluning hells, where is she?â Harlow said through gritted teeth. âShe must know weâre here.â
That wouldnât have surprised Umberto. In fact, he had suspected that from the moment Harlow had brought him up to the rooftop. He had pointed out three other buildings that guardsmen were set up on to keep a lookout for her. Not to mention the other out-of-uniform guards spread out through the street, connecting alleyways, and even in the tavern itself. Umberto couldnât help but consider this sloppy work. It felt rushed.
If this Aeon person were half as skilled as Harlow had made her out to be, she wouldnât need him to point out the guards.
âErr, perhaps you and I should go into the tavern. Get a change of scenery and keep an eye on things in there.â Plus, Umberto could finally get a bite to eat.
Harlow looked as if he might protest, but then his shoulders sunk, and he nodded. âMaybe thatâs a good idea. You all have things under control up here?â
The guardsmen all nodded.
âGood,â he said, then turned and headed for the stairwell door, passing Umberto.
âWe should probably disguise ourselves,â Umberto said. âErr, they know what you look like after all.â
Harlowâs hand went for his coat pocket, then stopped. âYouâre right. I could wear a hood or something?â
Umberto chuckled, making a note in his head. âI have a disguise kit in my pack downstairs. Come, I will turn you from tulip into a rose.â
All eyes were on Aeon before she even got to the Greenhow. Just as she wanted.
The Waterdhavian guards thought all they needed to do was take off their uniforms to blend in, but Aeon could still see it. She could see it in the way they sat, the way they walked, the way they breathed.
Deception and guile were her skills. They were just pretending like they had them.
She let out a breath as she touched the first step up to the Greenhow alone. She had a plan. Things were in place. But, like so many things had been in her life, it wasnât a guarantee. She took the next few steps quickly and flung open the doors to her tavern.
âGreetings, ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereof!â She threw her hands up in the air as she walked towards the front of the room and the middle of the bar. Everyone turned in the same instant to look at her. She saw eyes she recognized, others she didnât, and a few that were there to arrest her. One set in particular fell into the former and the latter.
Hello, Harlow. That disguise wonât work on me. I hope you enjoy the show.
âStep right up! Not only are all rounds on the house tonight, but Iâm selling all the juiciest, most life-ruining secrets of Waterdeep for the low, low price of free!â A few people raised their brows. A few others even stood. One old man who had already a few too many walked straight up to the bar and ordered another drink.
âWho wants to know which Masked Lords are having affairs? Or which stores are secretly being robbed by a gang of underground goblins? Or better yet, which one of the undercover guards in here is the easiest to pay off?â She said the last one directly to the disguised Harlow.
To her surprise, this antagonizing worked even faster than she had expected.
âThatâs enough,â Harlow yelled as he stood up from the back table. He ripped off the wig and false nose, tossing them to the floor. The other man at Harlowâs table, also disguised, looked at Harlow with a furrowed brow. âI am placing you under arrest to later stand trial for-â
âWhy wait,â Aeon said, cutting him off. âDeuce! Bring him in!â
The front doors burst open again, and in walked the magister from earlier that day, Deuce on his shoulders. The little gold monkey battered the bearded man and pulled on his cloak almost as if he were piloting the magister.
Aeon stepped forward and pulled out an empty chair from a table. âI couldnât help but notice that there werenât any magisters among your undercover guards outside.â Guards in uniform and weapons drawn filed into the tavern behind the magister. Aeon responded to this by taking a seat. âSo I decided to bring one myself. It is customary here in Waterdeep for magisters to pass sentencing in the moment, isnât that right, Aumarr?â
Harlow stared daggers at Aeon but held up a hand to stop the guards.
Aeon got comfy and put her feet up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. âBy all means, proceed with your accusation so the magister can pass judgment.â
Harlow looked down at the other man at his table, who looked back at him expectantly. For a moment, the aumarr didnât seem to know what to say. He was sweating. And it wasnât because of the wig.
What was your end goal here, Harlow?
The aumarr straightened up and stepped forward towards the middle of the room. âThis woman,â he said, pointing an accusing finger at Aeon. âIs a liar, thief, and manipulator.â
Aeon chuckled. âTell the room something they donât already know.â
There were a few laughs from the tables.
âSilence,â Harlow said with a raised voice. âYou want me to tell them something they donât know - how about this? You got yourself in deep with the Xanathar Guild. You⌠you promised them information but came up short. This infuriated the Xanathar Guild.â He paused. ââŚand they started making threats! If you didnât get them what they wanted, something bad was going to happen. But you couldnât deliver - you were in over your head playing the role of a spymaster in bigger leagues.â
He turned to face the guards and the magister, a confident grin spreading across his face. âWhat was she to do? The Xanathar Guild is too big for her to contend with. It wasnât a problem she could just make go away. Unless she set things into motion to weaken them. Even destroy them.â Harlow began to pace in the small area between tables. âThe Xanathar Guild has one big rival. The Zhentarim.â Several people shifted at their tables. âIf she could make it so the two factions went to war - her problem might be forgotten about. And if the Zhentarim won, her problem would be completely taken care of. And even if they didnât, the Xanathar Guild would be weakened to the point that she and her agents could swoop in.
âSo she planted sending stones in her music box trinkets and made sure they ended up in the hands of Xanathar agents so she could track them. She used them to follow her victims to the opportune place and strike.â Harlow seemed to be enjoying his lie. âThe first several would just be to start suspicion. Then, she would start leaving calling cards for the Zhentarim - so the Xanathar Guild would piece it together that all of their murdered agents had been killed by their rival.
âAnd to really sell it. She used her skills as an artificer to disguise herself with illusions to look like one of the Zhentarimâs most infamous agents. Sliver Thornheart.â Harlow stopped in front of Aeon, looking down at her with a smile like he had already won. âYou really thought you could pull all of the strings like a real mastermind. But youâre nothing but a-â
âNo,â came a voice from behind him.
Harlow looked as if a arrow had struck him in the back. âWhat?â He said, turning around to face the speaker.
The man who had been sitting at Harlowâs table took off his own wig and peeled off some fake sideburns. Impressively, the mustache stayed. He stood and let out a sigh.
âI said no.â He looked at Harlow with a hard gaze. âNone of that is true.â
Umberto looked to the magister. âPlease disregard what you just heard. This woman is not part of the murders.â He paused, looking Aeon over. âShe may be guilty of other crimes, but not this one.â
âHow dare you,â Harlow said, walking towards him. âYou think you can just come here and-â
Umberto put an opened hand in front of Harlowâs face when the aumarr reached him. He looked past Harlow to Aeon. âCan we speak in private? Perhaps in a back room?â
Aeon smiled. âI like you.â She gestured to the door behind the bar. âWe can use the storage room.â With that she got up, and made for the bar and Umberto followed, moving past Harlow.
âIâll not allow this,â Harlow said, sounding more and more like a petulant child. âGuards! Arrest both of them!â
Before the guards could move further into the tavern, over half the people at the tables stood, each drawing hidden weapons. Umberto froze, as did the guards and Harlow.
Aeon smiled at Harlow. âYou didnât really think I came unprepared for a fight, did you? Say hello to these agents of the Xanathar Guild. You know, the guild that you claim has it out for me? Theyâre under orders to protect me. At all costs.â She looked back at Umberto. âCome on. Letâs talk.â
Umberto couldnât help but be impressed. This woman was clearly on the wrong side of the law, but he could still admire her complete handle on the situation.
The storage room was more of a storage closet with a staircase in the back leading down into a darkened basement. It was cramped, but Umberto wasnât planning on pacing or making a show like Harlow had. He was here for information, and there was plenty of room for that.
âErr, thank you for agreeing to talk,â he said as she leaned against the opposing wall, arms crossed.
âWell, you seem to be the only one of the guards that is willing to believe me.â
He shook his head. âI am not part of the city guard.â
âThen why are you here?â
âI am here as a favor to an old friend to help solve the case of these murders. Murders that I am very confident you did not do.â
She cocked her head. âIâm happy to hear that - trust me, I am. But how can you be so sure?â
âBecause I believe I already know who the murderer is.â The fire was back, and his mind was beginning to clear once again. âHarlow was correct about the music box, yes?â
Aeon nodded. âIâm not happy that little secret is out, but yes, itâs true.â
âErr, so you heard what happened the night of the murder?â
Aeon smiled. âHey, Beaky,â she called down the stairs.
An albino kenku emerged from the darkness, his eyes shifting between Aeon and Umberto. He made his way quickly up the stairs and shivered next to Aeon.
âI need you to repeat the murder one more time,â she said to him - softer than Umberto had been expecting.
The kenku nodded. A moment later he opened his beak and began producing sounds of two men talking while walking down a street.
Umberto smiled. âThis kenku is able to perfectly recall what he heard on the sending stones.â He looked up at Aeon. âThat is very clever.â
Aeon smiled back and tipped her top hat to him.
Umberto listened to the kenku mimicry. As he did, he played the scene out in his mind as he had done in the alleyway earlier that day. Connecting the images he had memorized with the sounds of the murder. It played out nearly exactly as he had deduced, with only a few minor differences. When the name of his sister was said, it came as no surprise - in fact, he hadnât even realized that he had put Sliver in the place of the killer already.
âStlarn,â said his sisterâs voice, and Umberto smiled.
âThank you,â he said as the kenku finished. âAnd you believed the killer would be coming after you? To stop you from revealing this information?â
Aeon nodded. âThat would be why my tavern is full of Xanathar agents.â
âErr, a reasonable expectation and,â he paused. âA measured response.â
âSo,â Aeon said. âWhat do we do now?â
âFollow me back out there. I am ready to reveal what happened.â
âSure,â she said. âWhy not? Beaky, you stay here.â
The kenku looked relieved and nodded.
Umberto stepped back out into the tense tavern room. Waterdhavian guards stared down Xanathar agents and Harlow still stood in the center of the room. The aumarr stared at Umberto with hate in his eyes. That made Umberto put on a smile heâd seen Brenton wear so often when Umberto was young. It always came before Brenton said, âLet me teach you a lesson.â
âAumarr,â Umberto began as he stepped up behind the bar. âYou said something that stood out to me earlier today. When talking about the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim, you said, â Let the tluining bastards destroy each other, I say.â This seemed odd to me for an aumarr to say. An aumarr of Waterdeep should want to bring those factions to justice, should they not? No offense to those present in the room.â
Harlowâs eyes narrowed as he looked around at the Xanathar agents. âWhatâs your point? Both are a stain on this city. Why should I care how they get brought down?â
âYou see,â Umberto said, wagging a finger towards Harlow. âThatâs the thing. I think you do care. I think you care so much you planned it out. And who could blame you? Youâre the son of one of the most celebrated members of the Waterdhavian guard - thatâs a lot to live up to. But from what I have heard, youâve fallen short of those expectations.â
Harlow growled. âIs there a point to this? Or are you just here to insult me?â
Umberto ignored him. âYou decided to step things up. Make a name for yourself that isnât just because of your surname. You needed something big. Something people would remember for generations. You needed to solve one of Waterdeepâs longest running problems. The Xanathar Guild.â
Aeon chuckled behind Umberto, leaning against the back counter. âBut I thought they were my problem?â
âThat is a good point,â Umberto said with a nod. âThe accusations you made about Aeon were very interesting to me. When you started, you sounded unsure of yourself, as if you were coming up with the words as you spoke them. But then, at a certain point, you got onto a roll. The story flowed out of you like you knew it already. It was you that wanted a war between the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim. You wanted to weaken the Guild or obliterate them in the process. I wouldnât even be surprised if you hoped to weaken both factions to the point that you thought you could take both of them down.â
Harlow was as red as an apple now. Fists clenched. Face twisted in a scowl. âAnd what? I hired your dead sister to do the killing for me?â
Umberto felt that thorny vine twist a little, but he ignored the pain. âThat was the funny part for me. You had no idea that I would be here. It just so happened that the only Zhentarim agent of renown you had ever gotten up close to had been my sister. Thatâs why you looked so shocked when we first met. You were already stumbling through a string of bad luck. First Aeonâs music box, then your father calling in someone to do your job, and then the brother of the person you stole the identity of arrives in their place.â
âNone of this is true,â Harlow said.
Umberto ignored him again. âIâve heard what happened that night in the alleyway now, thanks to Aeon.â He gestured to the goliath and she made a mocking curtsy. âAnd again, if it were not for the fact that I grew up with Sliver, no one would have suspected it wasnât her.â Umberto stared down Harlow. âMy sister never swore. She found them to be filler words used by people who didnât have anything to actually say.â
Harlow began to shake. âI did not impersonate your-â
âYou must have been so scared when that sending stone fell out of the music box,â Umberto interrupted. âI found it so strange that it was broken and tossed away. But you panicked. You broke it, then realized you couldnât just leave it, so you put it somewhere you thought no one would ever suspect to look. If you had just left it there it would have been so much easier for you to pin all of this on Aeon. And you realized that. Which is why you started pointing everything you could towards her.â
âYou have no proof!â
âYouâre right,â Umberto said. âI donât. But you do. When we were on the rooftop, I noticed your hand went for your coat when I mentioned a disguise. When I was applying your wig and nose, I cast a Detect Magic spell and found an aura of transmutation on you. If I had to guess, you have some item that lets you cast True Polymorph.â
The room went still, and all eyes fell on Harlow. It looked as if the man might suddenly explode with rage. Instead, Harlow seemed to gather himself. He stopped shaking, lowered his shoulders, and let out a long breath. After a moment, he looked up and locked eyes with Umberto. âMy biggest mistake was missing that crossbow shot.â
Aeon laughed. âYouâre biggest mistake was that haircut!â
Harlow pulled a wand out from his coat. Xanathar agents, even some of the undercover guards, moved to stop the man, but he was faster and the spell was instantaneous. Lavender colored smoke flowed from the end of the wand, covering Harlow as he smiled at Umberto. Then, everyone around Harlow was thrown back against the walls of the room as something massive formed in the tavern.
A shape moved in the smoke. A low growl rumbled through the building as a clawed, skeletal hand appeared. The growing glow of firelight cut through the smoke as the skull of a red dragon came into view. Bits of dead muscle and flesh still hung to the bone, and red glowing firelight filled its empty eye sockets.
The guards yelled in fear as the red dracolich that had been Harlow readied to strike.
âGet him, Deuce,â Aeon said as the dracolich began to approach.
The undead creatureâs claws dug into and split the boards she had laid by hand years before. It pulled itself forward as if still trying to understand how its body worked.
Thatâs what you get for choosing something showy, you plinth head.
Deuce leaped from her shoulder, landing on the bar just as Umberto climbed on top of it. It was clear the older man could do magic, but Aeon didnât know what to expect from him. A moment later, Umberto hunched forward, then threw his arms out with a fearsome roar as he shifted into a large brown bear.
Somehow, she noted, that makes sense.
Xanathar agents and city guard sprung into action, weapons at the ready. They charged the dracolich, for whatever good it would do. Aeon commended them for their effort, but those weapons were going to need a magic touch if they were going to be effective. Especially since the dracolich looked as if it planned to take care of them with a swipe of its wings.
Luckily for them, Deuce had been charging up his energy beam.
There was a flash of white light as Deuce opened his mouth wider than a real monkey would be able to - and an instant later, a blue beam of magical energy streaked towards the dracolich. In the same moment, the bear that was Umberto leaped into the air, crossing the distance between the bar and the undead creature just after the beam struck.
The blast from the beam made the dracolich flinch, its head bobbing for a moment - giving the guards and agents their opportunity to strike. As it shook off the attacks, Umbertoâs claws connected with the creatureâs skull, slicing deep grooves into the bone. The bear landed on its hind legs with a thud that shook the whole tavern and readied for another swing.
The dracolich that had been Harlow let out an unnatural roar. Somehow, there were bits of Harlowâs voice in the sound. âYouâre dead,â came Harlowâs voice. âIâll kill you all!â
Aeon clocked Umbertoâs next attack and gave a quick whistle to Deuce, who instantly understood, as she flipped a switch on her cane. The crystal in the head of the cane began to glow and charge, humming with energy.
The dracolich righted itself, sweeping out its wings and tossing the agents and guards into the opposing walls. As it did, it roared at Umberto, fire forming in the back of its skeletal jaw like a raging inferno.
Umberto responded to this with an uppercut swing of his bear claws. As he swung, Deuce scrambled up the bearâs legs and body, then down his arm, charging another blast. As Umberto struck the lower jaw of the dragon skull, Deuce unleashed another powerful blast - the combined force sending the dracolichâs head up and crashing into the ceiling.
âYouâre paying for all of this damage, Harlow,â Aeon said with a grin as the dracolich tried to pull its nose out of the ceiling. She raised her cane and leveled it like a crossbow, eying the sinew and decaying muscle between the dracolichâs ribs. With three quick pulls of the trigger, the cane fired as many bolts of blue, flaming energy. Each bolt found its mark, disintegrating the bits holding together several of the ribs.
Umberto seemed to understand what she was going for. He grabbed onto two of the ribs and began to pull with a roar that Aeon could feel in her chest. Bones snapped and muscle tore - and with another whistle, Deuce scurried around Umberto and onto his shoulder. As the ribs parted, Deuce fired another beam - this one sustaining longer than the others - into the dracolich.
Bone and sinew disintegrated as the beam cut through what had been Harlow. It roared with pain - Harlowâs voice sounding like the most pained part. After a moment, the beam sliced through the dracolichâs spine, severing the creature in half. The lights went out in the skull, and the skeletal form began to collapse.
Before it could hit the floor, or land on Umberto, the image of the dracolich wavered, replaced by the small form of Harlow - who landed on broken boards with a grunt.
âNo,â Harlow said with a groan. âNo!â He tried to get up, but the end of Umbertoâs staff pressed down on his back.
Umbertoâs form returned, Deuce still on his shoulder, as Harlow looked up at him. âGuards,â Umberto said. âTake this man away.â
Umberto enjoyed every bite of breakfast the next morning. Aeon had invited him the night before for a free meal and drinks if he wanted them. He had graciously accepted the food but passed on the drink. Alcohol wasnât something he liked having in the morning. But, after everything heâd been through the day before, heâd given it serious thought.
But, as he swirled the last piece of sausage in the yolk of the perfectly cooked eggs, he knew this was all he needed. Good food did wonders for Umbertoâs mind, and he felt as if he could enjoy it just a bit more than he had the day before. Things were different. He was different. No, that wasnât it. He felt like he had over six months before. And that was a feeling he needed.
Aeon sat down at the table. âHow was it?â
Umberto was still chewing the sausage, but smiled and made a warm sound that clearly said, âit was delicious.â When he finished chewing, he added, âlike honey from the hive.â
âGood,â Aeon said. âIâll give your compliments to the Chief. Theyâre an automaton, but Iâll still tell them.â
Umberto wiped his mouth and mustache with the napkin, then set it over the finished plate. âYou certainly cleaned things up quickly.â He gestured to the tavern that looked almost like new. The only hint from the fight with the dracolich were the broken boards of the ceiling.
âJust one of the plus sides of making all of my staff by hand. I get to decide how fast they work.â
They laughed, and Umberto noticed an envelope Aeon was holding.
âSo,â Aeon said. âWhat do you think Harlowâs endgame was with me? Did he really think he could just pin everything on me?â
Umberto nodded. âI believe so. The reason he didnât have a magister here was probably so he could toss the place and find enough things to make a story. The guards found a magical dagger on him - no doubt the one he used for the murders. He was probably going to plant it somewhere here in the tavern to make a case for a magister to convict you.â
âWhat a plinth head,â Aeon said with a scoff.
âIndeed.â Umberto eyed the envelope. âErr, may I ask what is in that envelope?â
âOh,â Aeon said as if she had forgotten she was holding it. âI wanted to thank you. I had a pretty good plan in place last night, but I donât know if I could have pulled everything off without you. I for sure couldnât have gotten the guards to let me go without any extra investigation without you. So,â she trailed off as she put the envelope on the table.
Umberto went for it, but Aeon held up a hand. âBefore you look at it, I need to tell you. Your sister is alive. Donât ask me how I know, or how I got this information - because you wonât like either of the answers. In that envelope is the location of where she is being held. Do with it what you will.â
She moved her hand and Umberto found his own moving slower now as he picked up the envelope. The vine began to wilt as a flower of hope began to grow. âYouâre sure it is her?â
âAs sure as I can be,â she said as she stood. âJust please, donât go getting yourself killed. You seem like too nice of a guy for that to happen to you.â She paused for a moment. âBefore I go. I heard from one of the guards that this was your first case in six months? That you had given this line of work up?â
Umberto nodded, having to force himself to look away from the envelope and up at the goliath. âI⌠Iâm still not sure if I will be picking it up again.â
Aeon gave him a friendly smile. âWell, you should. People like you make being a criminal fun.â
With that, she walked away, Deuce hopping down from the rafters onto her shoulder.
For a moment, Umberto let himself think about getting back to work again, full-time. Taking on cases, solving crimes, bringing criminals to justice - everything. And, to his surprise, there was no fear. No anxiety. No mud around his feet holding him back. Yes, he could do this again. He would do this again. But firstâŚ
He picked up the envelope.
âBut first, I have something I need to do.â
The End
Umberto Thornheart and Aeon are coming to Idle Champions July 3rd as part of Founders' Day. Keep an eye out for their Champion Spotlights coming later this week!
