Riddle me this, riddle me that

[Lord_Bierhoff]

does anyone have any ideas for possible quests/side quests/ challenges for the hero to overcome?

[Pwincess]

I'd love to see the inclusion of folk tale characters similar to baba yaga and based on their alignment our hero would either have to help them out in some way, or make them flee the area  

[ndcent168]

Baba Yaga needs to make an appearence. She's like an old friend that we haven't seen in a long time.  

[Swift]

If it's an asian setting (more towards ancient China), it'll be cool to have the hero meet the dirty mad monk called Ji Gong in order to get the cure from him (in the form of rolled up body dirt). Or perhaps have him meet Mdm White Snake and either kill her or help her, depending on which version the team plans to use. Or hunt down Chiang-Shih.

I'll find more myths and legends stuff later.

[Jafar]

Cool ideas, Swift.  

[Swift]

Ok, digging up all these mythology stuff reminded me of a story on tv I saw as a child. It's a bit hazy but I think a rich man became pregnant for insulting Ji Gong. He had no other choice but to beg the monk to reverse the effects, and Ji Gong rubbed himself all over until he had rolled up his body dirt in the size of a huge ball and gave it to the man to swallow. It worked.

That, for instance, could make an interesting side quest for our Hero. Changing a few things here and there, we could have that pregnant rich man or his parents ask the Hero to plead with Ji Gong on his behalf to reverse the effects for a reward. After talking to Ji Gong, the monk probably send the Hero on an errand or two to help the townsfolk with their troubles first before rewarding him with the "cure" and perhaps other divine help too, since he is suppose to be some holy being. Alternatively, if norse mythology was used instead, change Ji Gong to Loki the god of Mischief or a playful being and it could still work, except the Hero's approach could be varied.

Other possible sidequests I can think of for the asian setting is having the Hero to challenge and defeat one of the many champions of the Jade Palace (that's Heaven for the uninitiated) in order to win their favour, like Na Zha the fire boy who looks and sounds like a girl, travel to the Ten Courts of Hell with Horse-head guard and Cow-head guard to either bargain with the Hell judge (no idea what the proper name is yet) for one of the tortured souls to be set free, or speak to the dead about an unsolved murder, or perhaps visit that underwater kingdom to ask the dragon princes what's riling them (and the seas) up on behalf of the fishermen.

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say as well. What sort of folktale or myth based sidequests would you like to see in Hero7 or later?  It can be on any culture you're interested in.

Found an interesting website that offers a somewhat comprehensive guide to mythology, folklore and others, though it's incomplete.

[Jafar]

I remember an old story about dreams that might make a fun little sidequest.
A man who recently lost pretty much all of his inheirited money had a dream about treasure in another city. So he travels to that city, and things don't go to well for him. He was picked up by the authorities, and was questioned by the Warden. When he told the Warden about his dream, the W told him not to listen to foolish dreams and talked about a dream he had. In the Wardens dream, a voice spoke of riches hidden in the Mans own home under a tree! The Warden lent him some money to get home, then the man rushed to his tree and dug there, finding tons of money that he spent wisely.

It would be cool if this story is adaped into a little sidequest, doncha think?  

[Swift]

That's an interesting story, but I'm not very sure how that tale can be modified into a sidequest. Care to elaborate please?

[Jafar]

Sure. Okay...:
The Hero meets a man who tells him about a dream he had.
About how you go to this place and do something there to find a treasure.
When you get there and do the thing, (Digging? Shaking a tree? Dancing? )another man asks about what the Hero is doing...
After the Hero explains, the 2nd man talks about a dream HE had that has to do with a treasure hidden in/near the first mans home.
Hero goes back, follows the instructions of the other mans dream, and gets rewarded. How's that?  

[Swift]

That could work. Thanks.

Anymore sidequests suggestions, anyone?

[Corsair5]

I've been thinking, and, perhaps one of the close allies or something of the hero could be like a demon or a hag or something, and you have to investigate a series of bizarre murders involving devoured children and grown men and women, hung with their own arteries, and eventually follow the trail back to...Dun dun DUUUUUUUN!

Er, was that idea a little too disturbing?

[ndcent168]

Yeah, just a little too disturbing. OK, REALLY too disturbing.

 

[Jafar]

Don't mind him, he's just trying to be evil.

[ndcent168]

Definately a success on that venture.

[Jafar]

Don't encourage him. <_<