Calling Rufus
You find a nickel in the gutter nearby and drop it in the slot. The phone rings for a long time. You're about to give up, then somebody answers.
"Rufus here," says a voice on the other end.
"Okay... uh... nice to meet you, Rufus. I'm <player>."
"There are some things I need," says Rufus. "Three of them."
"First thing. There's a big shadow entity. In the place those rifts connect to. <shadow entity description>." He pauses.
"I've also detected an artifact I need somebody to recover for me. A <shadow artifact>," he continues.
After a moment Rufus speaks again. "I can also always use samples of more mundane items from the rifts. Right now, 3 <shadow item> would be valuable."
| I'll fight the entity |
You tell Rufus you'll defeat the shadow entity for him.
"Thanks. Call me when it's done."
He abruptly hangs up.
| I'll find the artifact |
You tell Rufus you'll retrieve the artifact for him.
"Thanks. Call me when it's done."
He abruptly hangs up.
| I'll collect the goods |
You tell Rufus you'll bring him the items he wants.
"Okay, thanks. Be careful."
He abruptly hangs up.
| Hang up |
You hang up on Rufus. He probably won't mind.
Occurs after using a closed-circuit pay phone.
Notes
- The entity to fight will be one of:
| Message | Boss | Ability | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|
| "It's a cauldron. Big. Shaped like an iron one, but not made of iron." |  shadow cauldron |
Deals Hot Damage every round |  shadow fluid  shadow nectar |
| "It's a... matrix. A manifold. It's kind of a... grid? You'll know it when you see it." |  shadow matrix |
Blocks attacks |  shadow skin  shadow flame |
| "It's an orrery. It probably looks like a model of a solar system, only gigantic." |  shadow orrery |
Reflects spells Has increased elemental resistance |
 shadow ice  shadow glass |
| "It's something like a scythe. Maybe just... a scythe. But a big one." |  shadow scythe |
Always gets the jump Always attacks for 90% of maximum HP |
 shadow venom  shadow bread |
| "It's a big spire. Kinda like a radio tower." |  shadow spire |
Immune to staggers Always attacks for 35% of maximum HP |
 shadow brick  shadow stick |
| "It's a tongue. Just... a big tongue, as far as I can tell." |  shadow tongue |
Deals Sleaze Damage every round |  shadow sinew  shadow sausage |
The next time you would encounter A Labyrinth of Shadows, fight that boss instead.
- Choosing to find an artifact will produce the artifact from the choice specific to that artifact in A Labyrinth of Shadows instead of the usual choice result.
- If you hang up and call again, the offered quests will remain the same.
- All quests give a Rufus's shadow lodestone (in other words, access to a single Like a Loded Stone choice) as a reward.
- Accepting the first quest every day will give 11 turns of Shadow Affinity:
- An ear-splitting whine blasts out of the phone receiver. You wince in pain.
 | You acquire an effect: Shadow Affinity (duration: 11 Adventures) |
- There is no limit for quests accepted or fulfilled in a single day.
