Noble quest

This article is about the default Noble quest for human, vampire, and incantifier Nobles in dNetHack, and for all races in SlashTHEM.

The Noble quest sees you traveling from your ancestral keep to retrieve the Mantle of Heaven or Vestment of Hell from the Rebel Ringleader. For more information on the quest branch in general, see the quest article.

Home level	your ancestral home
Locate level	forest
Goal level	the rebel village
Leader	old Gypsy woman
Guardians	servants
Nemesis	Rebel Ringleader
Quest Artifact	Mantle of Heaven / Vestment of Hell

Maps

Home level

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You arrive in the portal outside the walls of the keep. On the left side of the map are 5 hostile peasants, 3 hostile soldiers, and 1 hostile sergeant. On the right side are 3 peaceful peasants. Your quest leader, the old Gypsy woman, is at the point marked @. You will need some method of crossing the moat to enter the castle.

The throne on this level is special, as it is YOUR throne. Sitting on it while wearing your quest artifact brings up a menu allowing you to chose a variety of special effects. Each effect may only be used once. They are:

• Order a genocide (uncursed genocide)
• Grant an audience (create some random pets)
• Demand tribute (make a wish)
• Use your insight (identify a few items from your pack).

Upper filler levels and Locate level

These levels are Mines-style forest levels. Each level has 4 traps, two peaceful knights, three peaceful peasants, and 7 random hostiles. The peaceful monsters will attack hostile monsters.

Lower filler level(s)

This level is a Mines-style forest level. Each level has 4 traps, one peaceful knight, and 7 random hostiles. The peaceful knight will attack hostile monsters.

Goal level

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The rebel leaders (@@@@) can be found in the large building to the north. 16 hostile peasants, a hostile captain, lieutenant, two hostile sergeants, and 6 hostile soldiers are distributed around the map, along with 3 other monsters. The large building on the right is a cross-aligned shrine. The graveyard contains multiple graves, but no undead or treasure; vampires can potentially recruit a number of followers by digging up the graves, however.

Rebel Leadership

• Rebel Ringleader @: The Rebel Ringleader is equipped with a silver saber, gray dragon scale mail, small shield, high boots, and the quest artifact and silver bell.
• Half-elf Ranger @: The ranger is equipped with 10 silver arrows, two elven short swords, an elven mithril coat, an elven leather helm, an elven cloak, high boots, and an elven bow.
• Militant Cleric @: The cleric is equipped with a mace, a set of plate mail, a large shield, and a pair of iron shoes. He casts a variety of healing magic, including mass heal, and can attack with pillars of flame.
• Adventuring Wizard @: The wizard is equipped with a quarterstaff, a robe, a set of leather armor, and low boots. He casts magic missiles, summons elemental spheres, and can put you to sleep.

Messages

Transporter level

On descending to the level where the transporter is located:

You receive a faint telepathic message from the old Gypsy woman:
Your help is urgently needed at your ancestral home!
Look for a ...ic transporter.
You couldn't quite make out that last message.

Entry

First time:

You find yourself standing in sight of your ancestral home.  You relax, anticipating 
the comforts of home. But wait! What are those banners in the distance?

Next time:

Once again, you return to your ancestral home.

If already rejected twice due to bad alignment:

Again you return to your ancestral home.  You fear the rebelion may soon overwhelm
the keep.

Quest guardians

If #chatting before the quest is complete:

"Greetings, <currentrank>.  It is good to see you again."
"<currentrank> <playername>!  There has been an uprising amongst the peasantry!"
"Greetings, <currentrank>.  The old Gypsy woman arived, claiming she will help us put down the
rebellion. She is waiting in the great hall."
"Alas, it seems as if <deity> has withdrawn from us."
"I think the rebellion has outside aid."

If #chatting after the quest is complete:

"Greetings, <currentrank>.  It is good to see you again."
"The rebellion was easily crushed, once their leader was slain."
"Good news, <brother|sister>!  With the rebellion quelled, your tax collectors have 
been able to resume their work!"
"Long live the <currentrank>!"
"<Deity> save the <currentrank>!"

Quest leader

When you first meet your quest leader:

"Ah, <playername>, my "<currentrank>."  You're a little late.  The peasant revolt has
already swept across your lands, leaving only this keep untouched.
The cards say you will need my help to reclaim your place. But
I won't assist just anyone."

When you return, having been rejected due to lack of experience:

"Again, you have returned.  Are you now ready to begin?"

This message is not currently used:

"Once more, you have returned.  Are at last ready to begin?""

When you are expelled from the quest for having failed the alignment test seven times:

"<Deity> has turned away from you, my "<currentrank>." Your faithlessness has
cost you your ancestral home and your destiny. Flee into exile
or end your life at the hands of the rebels.

When being rejected due to lack of experience:

"Fool, only as a Boier can you hope to put down the rebellion.
You must go out and gather further renown."

When being rejected due to having worse than pious alignment:

"Only with the full support of <deity> can you succeed.
Go away, and don't return without the favor of <deity>."

When finally assigned the quest:

"Yes, <currentrank>.  The cards say you are ready."
With that, she begins drawing cards from her deck. First is
the zero of trumps, followed swiftly by the queen and seven
 of swords.
"After you departed from your ancestral home, the Rebel Ringleader 
and her companions broke into the keep and stole
the Mantle of Heaven^ , which symbolizes your right to rule
these lands."
The five of wands joins them on the table, followed by the
five of swords.
"With her stolen authority, the Rebel Ringleader raised
a peasant revolt and routed your army."
The old Gypsy woman gathers up the cards, suffles the deck, and
resumes drawing. Again, the first card is the zero of trumps,
this time followed by the three and seven of wands, the
queen and ten of swords, and finally the ten of trumps.
"You must travel to the rebel village, slay the Rebel Ringleader,
and recover the Mantle of Heaven^ ."
She sits back and fixes you with a piercing stare.
"I'd use the secret passage in your throne room to reach
the forest, if I were you."

Encouragement

If you subsequently chat to your quest leader, you are encouraged:

"You must learn to rely on <deity>."

She draws a card from the center of the deck.
It is the queen of swords.
"A powerful warrior with a silver sword."

"Why are you still here?"

She deals a card from the bottom of the deck. It is the
queen of wands.
"A woman of nature. She fights with arrows of the moon's metal."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Get on with it!"

"Your surviving knights still fight the rebels in the woods."

"There are still some loyal peasants in the woods."

She turns over the top card. It is the five of trumps.
"A holy man.  He can heal his friends and set the sky on fire"

She pulls a card from the deck: The one of trumps.
"A man of magic.  At his word the elements rise up and energy
rains down; but as any true mage knows, sleep will kill you
faster than flames!"

Locate and goal levels

When first entering the locate level:

You remember the directions to the rebel village, given to you
by the the old Gypsy woman.  You are on the right path.

When returning:

Again, you approach the rebel village.

When first entering the goal level:

You have found the rebel village.
The rebel leaders will be in  one of the houses.

When returning:

Again, you have invaded the Rebel Ringleader's stronghold.

Quest nemesis

When first encountering the quest nemesis:

"So, at last you have come. Your death shall set this land free!"

Upon further meetings:

"So, <currentrank>.  You are a fool to return here."

And on the 4th and subsequent meetings:

"Die, <currentrank>!"

When you have the Mantle of Heaven/Vestment of Hell, but the Rebel Ringleader has not been destroyed:

"You have no right to the Mantle of Heaven^ !"

Discouragement

The Rebel Ringleader will occasionally utter maledictions:

"Run away, <Nobleman|Noblewoman>, and keep your life."
"You are no match for us, <Nobleman|Noblewoman>."
"Turn to dust!"
"<deity> won't help you."
"You shall oppress us no more!
"You will die here, <currentrank> <Nobleman|Noblewoman>"
"You cannot defeat me, for I have justice on my side."
"Monster!"
"I powers have failed you, <currentrank>."
"Without the Mantle of Heaven^ , you have no claim over us!"

Victory

When picking up your quest artifact:

As you pick up the Mantle of Heaven^ , you feel connected to your land and your people
for the first time since returning to your ancestral home.
You feel you should hury back to the keep and take up your throne
once again, if just for a short time.

When destroying the nemesis:

The Rebel Ringleader sinks to her knees, coughing blood. She gasps:
 "Bastard. You may kill me, but you can't kill justice!
 The rebellion is greater than any one person. These people shall
 be free of your tyrany yet!"
The Rebel Ringleader is silent after that, but you remain prudently out of arm's reach
until you are certain she has bled out.

When returning to your quest leader:

"You have returned, <currentrank>.  And regained the Mantle of Heaven^ , no less."
She flicks a card from her deck, and when it lands at your feet you
see that it is fifteenth trump.
"Isn't your own quest yet unfinished?"

When subsequently throwing the Mantle of Heaven/Vestment of Hell to the old Gypsy woman:

The old Gypsy woman studies the Mantle of Heaven^  for a moment,
then turns to glare at to you.
"How cruel you are to taunt an old woman. My curse, the curse of
all my kin, prevents me from ever finding a home of my own."

Post-Quest

When talking to the old Gypsy woman after the quest:

"Why are you back!?  There is nothing left to be done here!"

When talking to the old Gypsy woman after getting the Amulet:

The old Gypsy woman holds up the last two cards in her deck: the two and twenty-one
 of trumps.
"You have one task remaining. It begins where you entered."

^[1] The Vestment of Hell for vampires.