The Butcher's Masquerade
by Matt Dinniman
Contents
Chapter 75
Overview
Carl and Donut's trap turns the ballroom into a slaughterhouse as their pets, Samantha, and Signet's lingering magic overwhelm the hunters and finally bring down Vrah, but Queen Imogen survives and begins fighting her way back into control. In the middle of the battle, Carl learns Signet's sacrifice left behind living constructs, takes Princess Lunette's body for Samantha's possible future restoration, and watches Samantha dive deeper instead of waiting to teleport away. Donut then uses the hidden reversal potion on Kiwi, restoring her to bear form and revealing her as Tina's mother, which completes the quest just as Sledge's countdown reaches zero.
Summary
Donut gives the signal, and the ballroom ambush explodes all at once. The velociraptors leap into the hunters, Samantha crashes in through the ceiling on a wave of bug gore and joins the attack on Vrah, and mantis nymphs erupt up through the floor and pour in through the exits, trapping everyone inside. Tina flickers into the adjacent ballroom and back again to kill intruders, Ferdinand vanishes to protect Donut, and Carl sees that Signet's stolen tattoos have become unstable but still dangerous creations that keep harassing Queen Imogen while the allied crawlers fight through the chaos.
Carl realizes they have only moments before Imogen regains control. Imogen lashes out with a room-wide burst of red lightning that injures nearly everyone, but Carl reaches the dying Vrah and orders Mongo to finish her off while sending Kiwi back to the stage. Vrah dies, Carl's mark completes, and Carl briefly considers a new target, but only Imogen remains at full strength.
During the fighting, Samantha asks about Signet and learns that Signet killed herself to save them. Carl then discovers that some of Signet's tattoos manifested as harmless flesh golems: Clint, Miss Nadine, and an incomplete body of Signet's mother, Princess Lunette. Nadine explains that Signet took Lunette's memory but left the body behind, urges Carl to keep it for Samantha, and says a Pulpmancer might help. Carl stores Lunette's body in his inventory, but instead of waiting to be teleported away, Samantha rockets downward through the floor on her own.
Imogen breaks free enough to attack Carl directly, snapping his arm and dragging him toward her with magic, but Ferdinand reappears and slams into Imogen, giving Carl time to heal. On the stage, Donut crushes the hidden I Take It All Back potion on Kiwi, reversing Kiwi from velociraptor form into an ursine bear. Tina recognizes the restored Kiwi as her mother and cries out for her, though Tina herself remains an allosaurus. The transformation completes the quest, Sledge announces that only five seconds remain, Carl and Donut ready fall protection, and then time freezes as the escape triggers.
Who Appears
- CarlLeads through the ambush, has Mongo finish Vrah, takes Lunette's body, and braces for escape.
- DonutSignals the attack, commands the pets, and restores Kiwi with the hidden reversal potion.
- SamanthaBursts in through bug gore, mauls Vrah, mourns Signet, and dives downward chasing a body solution.
- Queen ImogenSurvives the trap, blasts the room with lightning, and nearly crushes Carl before Ferdinand interrupts.
- KiwiFights as a velociraptor, then is restored to ursine form and revealed as Tina's mother.
- TinaPhases between rooms to kill enemies and recognizes restored Kiwi as her mother.
- VrahTargeted by Mongo, Kiwi, and Samantha, then finished off as Carl's marked quarry.
- Sir FerdinandTries to protect Donut and later slams into Imogen to save Carl.
- Miss NadineSignet-made flesh golem who explains Lunette's body and urges Carl to keep it.
- ClintTerrified child flesh golem created from Signet's magic; Carl heals him during the battle.
- Princess LunetteIncomplete flesh golem body of Signet's mother, taken by Carl for Samantha's possible use.
- MongoSavages Vrah and finishes her off on Carl's order.