Den of Foxes

Den of Foxes
Fluff Haus
Creator	The Observer
Information
Quest Giver	Lady Evergreen
Level Range	4+
Quest Type	Side Quest
Location	Frostwood Kurokawa Kitsune Den
Timed?	No
Can Fail?	No

Quest States

State	Acquisition	Description
0	Having initially received the quest from Lady Evergreen	Lady Evergreen's asked you to retrieve her bountiful bag from the kitsune who filched it. She imagines that you ought to be able to find it in their den to the northwest of the Frostwood. It should be just a little round trip and some talking, right? {//amulet: Besides, you know the true reason why you're heading into such a place, and it's got nothing to do with Evergreen. This might be your best bet for helping Kiyoko out of her predicament.}
1	If the Champion attempts to enter the den with the Amulet of Union on them	With the amulet and its amber orb in your possession, you feel secure in its ability to protect you from any terrible fate that might await you inside the cherry blossom tree. It's time to enter.
2	If the Champion has picked up the Amulet of Union, but does not have it on their person when attempting to enter	Since this is where the people most likely to be able to help Kiyoko live, it might be a smart idea to turn back and pick up her amulet before heading on in; you have the suspicion that matters might change significantly in your favour were you to do so. Considering your promise to her, backtracking and returning with the amulet in your possession would be highly advisable.
3	If the champion reached Shrine Mother Komari with the Amulet of Union on them	Thanks to you having Kiyoko's amulet on you, you've been able to avoid an altercation with the Shrine Mother and retrieve Evergreen's bountiful bag from her great-great-granddaughter. All you have to do now is deliver the goods to their rightful owner and collect your payment for services rendered.
4	If the champion fell at any point during the boss rush, but was saved from a bad end by the Amulet of Union	Thanks to you having Kiyoko's amulet on you, you've been able to avoid an altercation with the Shrine Mother and retrieve Evergreen's bountiful bag from her great-great-granddaughter. All you have to do now is deliver the goods to their rightful owner and collect your payment for services rendered.
5	If the champion defeated Shrine Mother Komari	It's been a long trip, but you've beaten the Shrine Mother and forced her great-great-granddaughter to cough up Evergreen's bountiful bag. All you have to do now is deliver the goods to their rightful owner and collect your payment for services rendered.
6 (Completed)	Upon returning Evergreen's bountiful bag to her.	You've successfully returned Evergreen's bag to her. Considering its contents, it's little wonder why she was rather pleased to have it back. All's well ends well, right?

Acquisition

Upon the Champion hitting level 4, they may ask Lady Evergreen if there are any tasks the witch has for them. She will ask the Champion to retrieve a small, unassuming bag from the kitsune in their den. While the quest can be acquired at level 4, the dungeon itself is tuned for level 5, so beware.

Progress

Upon acquiring the quest and reaching the entrance to the kitsune den in the northwestern Frostwood, the Champion will find the entrance open. If the Champion has the Amulet of Union on them, they will be informed that they will be protected from a bad end in case of their failure; if they picked up the amulet but do not have it on them, the game will strongly suggest that they bring it into the den with them. This can be ignored, of course, if the player desires a greater challenge. Once inside, the entrance will seal behind the Champion, trapping them inside the den until the quest's resolution.

The Champion will face a boss rush of five bosses: Warden Azami, Artificer Kazuo, Nakano, Miko and Mai, and finally, Shrine Mother Komari. Depending on their choices earlier in the game and if they have the Amulet of Union on them, they may need to actually fight anywhere from three to five of the listed bosses. Losing to any of them without the amulet will result in a bad end; however, if the champion does have the amulet on them, they will be saved from a bad end and the quest will be counted as complete. However, they will not receive any of the additional rewards from defeating or encountering the bosses.

The dungeon is designed as a challenge for combat-oriented players to test their skills and strategies; there are no recovery options within the den, nor can the player retreat to rest. Hence, bringing many items into the dungeon with them to keep healthy between boss encounters is highly recommended. Do not be afraid to use your powerful consumables. Furthermore, as the champion will be expected to have ultimate powers at this point, deciding when to use the ultimate powers of you and your companions is paramount, since the champion will not be able to retreat to recharge them. Searching Kazuo's workshop after defeating the artificer will yield a small cache of recovery items, but it will generally be insufficient to carry players for the entire dungeon; bringing your own is strongly advised.

The quest ends when the player completes the boss rush, or falls to the den's denizens and is saved by Kiyoko.

Combat

Each of the bosses in the boss rush is designed with at least one unique ability with power equivalent to an ultimate in mind as a unique fight mechanic. Sans outright cheating, attempting to ignore the mechanic and simply brute-force down each encounter is intended to result in the champion's swift failure. Sensing an opponent and exploiting their elemental weaknesses may help, as well as keeping in mind their natures and possible particular vulnerabilities to certain abilities or statuses. Above all, recognising the fight's mechanic and devising a way to counter it through your action (or inaction) is paramount.

The encounters are designed such that all three offensive modes (physical, magical, tease) will all have ups and downs over the course of the dungeon. While you as the champion can swap out your equipped powers from your journal in between fights, your companions are more fixed in their nature. Keeping a balanced group composition is recommended.

Loot

If Artificer Kazuo was defeated:

• Tome of Arc Cannon

If Nakano was defeated:

• Tome of Kiaijutsu

If Miko and Mai were defeated:

• Tome of Carnal Hex
• Tome of Counterspell

If Shrine Mother Komari was defeated or parleyed with:

• Fox-Tail Charm

Reward

• 2000 EC
• 1x Evergreen's Bountiful Bag