Maestro

Stop press gang in Port Noble

Stephanie Peebles is a smart cookie, Red Tomax. If she trusts you to look after Striga, so do I. I've got a problem you could help me with right now, in fact: the Family has been running press gangs up and down the dock, forcing the young sailors to join up or pay the piper. Will you show these Family press gangs who's boss around Striga? As far as they're concerned, you are.

I don't want to see good young men muscled into a life of crime.

Woo, Red Tomax! You sure gave those Family goons a lickin'! With any luck it'll be a long time before they try throwing their weight around Port Noble again. Thank you, Red Tomax. You've done this community a great service.

Put the hurt on the Council press gangs

The Family isn't the only group who thinks everything and everyone on Striga is theirs to take. The Council's been running press gangs lately, and a lot of good citizens have gone missing. I'd lik eyou to take to the streets and see ifyou can put the hurt on the Council's press gangs. Maybe you can even find out where to go looking for the missing men.

It's gotten so that Port Noble isn't safe for any decent person. Help me turn that around, Red Tomax.

Mission Complete: On one of the Council soldiers, you found some orders.

Press gang orders

These orders, taken off a Council soldier, read:

'Take the new recruits to this location for indoctrination.'

Below is a set of coordinates.

A quick glance at the reinforced door confirms Jack's fears: no one leaves here without the Council's ok.

Objective: One of the Council soldiers was carrying a key card.

Key card

You found this card on a Council patrol. It should allow you deeper into the base.

Objective: One of the Council soldiers was carrying a key card.

Key card

You found this card on a Council patrol. It should allow you into the inner sanctum of the base.

Mission Complete: You rescued the Council's prisoners.

Not a bad day's work,hero. You put the hurt on the Council and kept a few boys from going over to the dark side. Stephanie's right, friend; you're just what Striga Isle needs.

Evict the Sky Raiders from the Maw

Red Tomax, I need you to get over to the Maw. The Sky Raiders have been holding it for some time, and I need a hero strong enough to punch through their defenses. It's time we stopped letting them cut us off from the Bonny Morass. After all, there are people who live out there: the vicar, Old Toby, and his brother, Lars. If the Sky Raiders are allowed to holod that bridge, Toby and Lars will be stranded out in the Morass indefinately. I need you to evict the Sky Raiders from the Maw.

The Sky Raiders won't be turned away easily. They've got military discipline and plenty of determination.

Good work, Red Tomax. I imagine I'll have work for you beyond the Maw from now on. You should brace yourself; the rest of Striga Isle is a lot more deadly than you might imagine.

Stop the Council from raising the bridge

I appreciate your efforts to keep the Maw open, but I'm afraid we've got new problems. The Council has dreamed up a scheme for cutting Port Noble of from the rest of Striga indefinitely; they're planning to raise the bridge that spans the Maw. If they manage it, they should be able to cement their control over the eastern side of the island. You've got to stop the Council from raising that bridge!

The vicar and his broher are good people, Red Tomax, and if the Council manages to raise the bridge, they'll be stranded on the other side of the island. Don't let that happen.

You hear the creaks and groans of heavy machinery.

Objective: Archon Yancey snarled, 'Just you wait, little hero. The Council has big plans in store for your precious city!'

The Archon's story

The Council Archon you defeated told you:

'Just you wait, little hero. The Council has big plans in mind for your precious city!'

Mission Complete: You stopped the Council from raising the bridge.

You've done good work, my friend. I'm sure Old Toby would like to thank you for keeping Striga Isle in one piece. Be nice to me and I may introduce you some day.

Clear a path through the Pantheon and the Council

I've got a task for you, Red Tomax, if you're willing. I need you to get to the Bog and clear a path down to the swampy region, through the Banished Pantheon and the Council War Wolves. I dont' expect it to be easy. But heroes like you need access to the Bog if you're ever going to clear the Council out. What do you say> Will you clear a path through the Pantheon and the Council?

There are wicked things in the Bog, my friend. Watch yourself.

I'm impressed, Red Tomax. You should know, that this is only the beginning. So far you've only seen the ti pof Striga Isle's iceberg; now it's time to plunge headfirst under the water.

Defeat Maestro

Thanks to Dr. Goldsmith, we now have the location of one of the Council's big wigs, Maestro. I don't think I need to tell you what happens next. Go to Maestro's lair, find him, and defeat him.

I also heard that he has some of the Center's special guard, the Ascendants, guarding his lair. That'll make him one tough nut to crack. I'd recommend bringing a crackerjack team.

I hear Maestro's a deaf man who'll stop at nothing to regain what he's lost. Unethical experimentation, dark magic, you name it. He's one twisted human being.

A faint and beautiful music wafts through these corridors.

Maestro [Arch-Villain] As a child, Vincenze Alferi dreamed of becoming a great composer, but those dreams were shattered when he lost his hearing due to a car accident. The Council offered to perform a radical experiment that might restore his hearing, and Vincenzo agreed without hesitation. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. A SPIDER attack on the facility resulted in a power surge at the worst possible moment. Instead of restoring him, the resulting explosion created a permanent resonance in Vicenzo's body. He agreed to join the Council if they would give him the opportunity for vengeance against SPIDER.

Mission Complete: You defeated Maestro!

Good work, Red Tomax, good work. With Maestro in jail, I think we can expect things to improve on Striga. For a while, at least.

Arrest the man who experimented on Jack

I wonder if you'd be willing to help me with combthing kind of personal. You see, after years of searching, I've finally located somebody who hurt me very badly. I've located his lab, and all I need you to do is go in and arrest him. Red Tomax, make sure he doesn't hurt anybody else.

You want the whole ugly story? Well, ok. You see, I was injured in a squall back in '67. My shipmates brough me to a new doctor on the island, a man known as Dr. Goldsmith. If we'd only known! Goldsmith was in league with a shadowy group that later materialized as the Council. He did gruesome experiments on me for months before I escaped. To tell you the truth, I haven't been the same since.

Objective: Goldsmith gasped, 'I'll tell you everything. Just don't let that maniac jack hurt me!'

Dr. Goldsmith's story

When you arrested him, Dr. Goldsmith gasped:

'Maestro made me perform those crazy experiments. He's obsessed with regaining his hearing, and he'll jump at any chance to learn more about human tissue and regeneration. I'll tell you where he is, if you'll keep me away from Long Jack. That man is scary!'

Mission Complete: You defeated Dr. Goldsmith.

Words can't express my gratitude, Red Tomax. Maybe now I can finally make my peace with the past.

And that's not all! Goldsmith is singing like a canary, all about the location of Maestro's hidden base. Seems to think I'll hurt him if he doesn't giv eup the goods. You may not have noticed, but I cultivate a reputation as sort of a tough guy. Always knew it would come in handy some day.