Jessica Megan Duncan
Overview
| Jessica Megan Duncan | |
|---|---|
 Off-duty Hero | |
| Zone | Pocket D |
| Coordinates | (-17, 0, -1211) |
| Level Range | 30-50 |
| Introduced By | None |
| Introduces | None |
| Enemy Groups | |
| Badges |
 Widow Maker |
Jessica Megan Duncan, also known as Ms. Liberty, is a hero contact in Pocket D at coordinates (-17, 0, -1211) . Her level range is 30-50. She is a special contact that is only available during the Valentine's Event. She is the hero counterpart of Arbiter Hawk.
Introductions
Contact Introduced By
- None. Jessica Megan Duncan starts assigning missions immediately to all heroes above level 30. Upon logging on a character for the first time during a Valentine's Event, a pop-up window will appear with the following message:
Jessica Megan Duncan is looking for a hero who can help her out with a secret mission. A mission of love. She can be located in Pocket D, on the main floor near the hero side.
Contact Introduces
- None
Information
Off-duty Hero
Jessica Megan Duncan, also known as Ms. Liberty, runs Longbow, a government agency of high-tech and super-powered soldiers who fight against the soldiers of Arachnos and the villains from the Rogue Islands.
Wrong Alignment
I don't think it's safe for either of us to be seen talking to each other. Maybe if you were more like me I might reconsider.
Initial Contact
Psst... Character you got a minute? I need something done on the down low.
Greetings
Glad to see you in one piece, Character.
No More Missions
Thanks for your help on that, sorry it turned out like it did.
Store
- Inspirations
Story Arc
The Widow in Red
Merit Rewards: This activity awards 5 Reward Merits.
Souvenir
The Amber Widow
You have kept the Amber Widow as a souvenir of the story you refer to as
The Widow in Red
Jessica Megan Duncan, known in the hero community as Ms. Liberty, approached you to undertake the task of reuniting Lord Recluse with his long dead lover, Red Widow. Her position in Longbow has given her intel from the PSYOPS division that Lord Recluse needs a calming influence in his life and that Red Widow is just the person to do so. You were tasked with assembling the ingredients and finding the ritual that would bring her back from the dead, and in doing so gathered the Amber Widow, three Obols (ancient Greek coins), a bottle containing a dying breath, and the ritual itself.
Within the mountain where Lord Recluse and Statesman fought Longbow PSYOPS constructed a summoning circle. It was at this circle that you performed the ritual to resurrect Red Widow, bringing her back from the dead. And come back she did, not with love in her heart, but hatred. Hatred for Lord Recluse and a passion to kill him where he stood.
You then learned that because you used your own blood to bring Red Widow back to life, your life force has been temporarily tied to hers. Coupled with the fact that Arbiter Daos has put a death mark on Red Widow, in order to protect Lord Recluse, it's only a matter of time before her death would bring about your own. Fortunately, DJ Zero, the proprietor of Pocket D, had a plan for you to make Red Widow fall in love with Lord Recluse all over again. The bow and arrow belonging to Cupid were key in bringing her out of her insane state. You were able to steal the bow from Countess Crey and the arrow from the Carnival of Shadows.
Armed with the bow and arrow of Cupid, you made your way to Grandville, dispatched several of Arbiter Daos' assassins and then was able to shoot Red Widow herself. When hit with the arrow she saw Lord Recluse and fell in love with him again. Unfortunately it seems that the leader of Arachnos was not calmed by being reunited with her, but was infused with even more motivation to take over the world, as now he has someone to share it with.
The Widow in Red: Part One
Briefing
Hello again, Character. I bet you are wondering why I called you here of all places. I need to put some 'distance' between you, me, and Longbow on this op, and Pocket D seemed like the right place.
Here is the situation: Longbow PSYOPS, you know, the guys who print up the flyers that say 'Recluse is lying to you' (and) airdrop them over Grandville? Well, those guys have also been doing some psych profiles of one Stephen Richter, aka Lord Recluse, and came up with something very interesting. Longbow would love to task you and anyone you can wrangle into performing an 'off-the-books' op for us.
- I'm game. Anything to disrupt Arachnos is good by me.
Excellent.
Spies and telepaths have uncovered more information about the woman known as Red Widow. Apparently she and Recluse were quite the item back in the day, until she was killed during a fight between Recluse and my grandfather, Statesman.
PSYOPS believes that if Red Widow was brought back into Lord Recluse's life his attention would be split. He would no longer have this single minded obsession with conquering Paragon City and the rest of the world. In a way, Red Widow can temper the beast that is my great-Uncle.
We will need to gather a couple things first in order to perform the ritual needed to bring her back to life. Fortunately the Circle of Thorns has a copy of the ritual we need, in one of their libraries we've been keeping tabs on.
In addition, we need you to get the following items: the Amber Widow, three ancient obols, and 'a dying breath.' Go and see the Conduit about the obols, Dr. Cheng about the Amber Spider, and you'll need to get the rest of the components from Orenbega.
Obtain an obol from The Conduit
Unnecessary Solicitation
You should see the Conduit in Croatoa about getting an obol, whatever that is supposed to be.
Mission Objective(s)
- Obtain an obol from The Conduit (in Croatoa)
The mystic welcomes you with open arms as you approach.
Ah, I've heard of your exploits, Character. What can I help you with?
- Tell me about obols.
- Obols? In magic they are commonly used in rituals that involve death and the afterlife, as Charon the ferryman to the underworld, would take an obol as payment to ferry a soul to the afterlife.
- What is an obol?
- An obol, or obolus, is a name for an ancient Greek coin.
- I need an obol.
- You need an obol? Planning on dying sometime soon I assume? I can help you out, but tell me, exactly what are you planning on doing with said item?
- I need an obol for a resurrection ritual.
- Good Sir / Madam, a single obol is used to pay Charon to take you TO the afterlife. If you want the trip to be a 'round-trip' I would suggest procuring multiples. How many souls are you planning on resurrecting?
- One
- I see, then you would need two obols, one to send Charon across the river Styx and one to bring him back with the soul in question in tow. Is the soul expecting to be brought back?
- No.
- Then might I suggest a part of you take the trip as well, and for that you will need a third obol.
- I don't believe so. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Two
- Figured out you need to convince the subject to come back to the land of the living, did you? You'll need to send part of yourself in the ritual, and for that you'll need a third coin to ensure you make the return trip as well.
- Then I will need three obols.
Completes the current task and accepts the next.
- The mystic smiles and produces the three coins, and unexpectedly, several vials of what looks to be blood.
- Excellent! Here you go, three obols. This should do well to bring back your friend, as long as they are willing to be brought back. A few souls prefer the afterlife to what they had here on Earth.
- Take these as well, they're vials of blood donated by some local mystics that are naturally infused with ley line mana. If things go awry it may help to have some potent catalysts on-hand, otherwise somebody might resort to something foolish like using their own blood...
- Thank you. Closes the dialogue.
These ancient Greek obols, or coins, are what is used to pay the boatman Charon to carry your soul across the river Styx to the afterlife. Three of them should buy passage to the underworld and then a return trip for you and a... guest.
You were also provided some vials of magic-infused blood, to serve as a catalyst in-case the ritual called for it.
Obtain The Amber Widow from Dr. Cheng
Unnecessary Solicitation
Go and see Dr. Cheng. He has the Amber Widow, and may be willing to part with it.
Mission Objective(s)
- Obtain the Amber Widow from Dr. Cheng (in Independence Port)
The Amber Widow, yes? Yes, this particular piece is over one million years old.
It is amazing, wouldn't you say?An innocent black widow spider, minding its business crawling across the surface of a tree, perhaps to find a new home to spin her web, when she finds herself stuck in the sticky sap. She's engulfed over the next day or so, trapped in a state that is neither alive nor dead. As the sap hardened, it fossilized, only to be uncovered a million years later by an archaeologist and acquired by me. I assume, Character that your intentions for this are pure, so please, take it with my blessing.
This black widow spider was trapped in amber nearly a million years ago. It is perfectly preserved in a state between life and death. It is the perfect catalyst for the resurrection of the woman known as the Red Widow
Obtain the Final Ingredients
Unnecessary Solicitation
You need to get the last two ingredients
Mission Objective(s)
Oranbega, the ancient city that Paragon City was built on top of. In here the final pieces of the ritual lie.
- Gather the final ingredients
- Find a Dying Breath
- Locate the Ritual
- Defeat the Librarian and guards
With the breath and ritual in hand, you are ready to move on to the next step.
The ritual seems to have been removed, very recently.
The Librarian wasn't lying. He did posses the ritual you were looking for.
Complicated and incomplete, this ritual seems to be 80% strict adherence, and 20% improvisation. You deduce that the proper way to perform the ritual starts with the placement of a single obol into a magic circle. From here things get sketchy. Some sort of catalyst is needed for you to successfully use the Amber Widow, something to give it purpose. Charon's return trip must then be paid for in obols. Finally the Dying Breath must make it's way into the circle to hopefully interact with the deceased. Then, and only then, will the ritual be complete.
There is a seemingly empty bottle, sealed with wax, labeled 'Final breath of Charles Brant, May 1st, 1997
One of the most powerful reagents in a resurrection spell is the final breath of a sentient being. Often faked, and incredibly difficult to mass-produce, this ingredient alone holds the key to bringing someone back from the dead.
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- The Librarian (Circle of Thorns Boss) Keeper of the libraries of Orenbega, the Librarian protects many of the secrets and spells of the Circle of Thorns from interlopers.
Debriefing
Excellent! You've gathered all the ingredients you will need. PSYOPS has a good feeling about this, and they are glad I picked you to pull this off.
The Widow in Red: Part Two
Briefing
Excellent, Character! With these gathered materials we should be able to bring Red Widow back to life. PSYOPS has divined that the location of her death would be the best place to bring her back to life. We've dispatched mystics to set up a portal connection to the cave where they've constructed the magic circle you will need to complete the ritual. Just let me know when you are ready.
- I just hope this plan works out.
You and me both. I know it's taking a risk bringing back a deadly assassin like Red Widow, but PSYOPS pre-cogs assure me that odds are in our favor. You have the ritual, but I understand the exactness of it is... vague. You're probably going to have to improvise a bit. One thing I can assure you though, is use the Dying Breath as the last thing, and only if everything else seems like it is working up to that point. Getting another one of those may prove to be... difficult.
Unnecessary Solicitation
Again, I thank you for doing this. Bringing back Red Widow may be a mistake, but I plan on seeing this through.
Mission Objective(s)
These caves are found atop a snow covered peak, near where Red Widow died many years ago. Longbow PSYOPS have set up a magic circle you need to complete the ritual somewhere within.
- Resurrect Red Widow
- Complete the ritual
Red Widow has been resurrected, but she seems to want to KILL Lord Recluse instead of reunite with him!
This is the magic circle that the agent set up for you. This is where you will perform the ritual to bring Red Widow back to life. Performing the ritual wrong could have negative circumstances(consequences), but the ritual is incomplete and you will be forced to improvise. How do you want to begin?
- Start with the Amber Widow
- You place the Amber Widow within the circle, and nothing happens. No magic sparks, no gut instinct, just... nothing. Obviously this is not the way to start the ritual.
- Start with the dying breath
- As you contemplate opening the bottle containing a dying man's last breath, Ms. Liberty's words ring in your memory: 'One thing I can assure you though, is use the Dying Breath as the last thing, and only if everything else seems like it is working up to that point.' You think better of it and try something else.
- Start with the obols
- You hold three obols in your hand. You can place one, two or all of them into the magic circle. What do you do?
- Place two obols in the circle.
- You gather two obols and place them into the circle. Your gut kicks in with that sensation you get when you overpay for something.
- Place the third obol in the circle as well.
- All three obols are placed within the circle. You have the overwhelming sensation that you are being ripped off.
- Place all three obols in the circle. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Place one obol in the circle.
- The magic circle flares to life. The runes take on an otherworldly glow. You sense the boatman, Charon, awaiting a soul, a soul that has been paid for.
- Place the Amber Widow into the circle.
- You place the Amber Widow into the circle. You have an uncomfortable feeling that Charon is confused. He was looking for a living soul to ferry across the river Styx.
- Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Let's start improvising.
- You've fought enough magic slinging enemies in your time, you should be able to fake this, right? Some ideas pop into your head: using magic incantations you've overheard in the past, cutting yourself and bleeding into the magic circle, dance around the circle, chanting a magical mantra, or light some incense and see what happens.
- Start muttering some magic incantations
- You raise your hands into the air and begin chanting magical words you have overheard in the past. Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.
- Restart the Ritual
- Dance around the circle, chanting
- You begin to dance around the circle, chanting a mantra you've heard used in the past.
- Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.
- Restart the Ritual
- Light some incense
- You ignite a match and light some incense, other than adding a particular odor to the air, nothing magical happens. It seems you didn't mess anything up though, so you decide to try something else.
- Pour the vials of blood into the circle
- The blood hits the ground within the circle and seeps into the soil as if it were a sponge. Only a dark stain remains where the blood once pooled. The magic circle grows in intensity. Charon seems pleased and the ritual seems to move forward.
- Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Place the Amber Widow into the circle.
- You place the Amber Widow onto the dark patch left by your blood. The fossilized sap seems to shimmer and begin to return to a liquid state, but still holds its shape. The Widow inside seems to be struggling to be freed.
- Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Place one more obol onto the circle.
- You place down the obol. You get the sense that Charon is confused. The magic circle begins to fade. Quickly: what do you do?
- Place two more obols onto the circle.
- With both obols in the circle you see the image of Red Widow begin to materialize. She seems to be gasping for air and none is coming. This is likely the last part of the ritual, what do you do?
- Time for some more improvisation!
- Your mind scrambles to come up with something else to do when the image of Red Widow fades from view... Suddenly you are wracked with pain! Something has gone wrong with the ritual and magic circle's energies die out.
- Start over.
- Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath.
- The cold of the air in the cave condenses the breath as it is released. The image of Red Widow stands before you, taking in a deep breath. As it does, she solidifies into a living, breathing, human being again.
- Let's continue to improvise.
- That worked well, maybe you should continue down that path?
- Start muttering some magic incantations Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Restart the Ritual
- Dance around the circle, chanting Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Restart the Ritual
- Light some incense Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Maybe I should stop improvising, this is getting nowhere
- With that thought in mind, you look to the remaining ingredients in your hands, the bottle of dying breath and two remaining obols.
- Place one more obol onto the circle.
- You place down the obol. You get the sense that Charon is confused. The magic circle begins to fade. Quickly: what do you do?
- Place the last obol onto the circle!
- With both obols in the circle you see the image of Red Widow begin to materialize. She seems to be gasping for air and none is coming. This is likely the last part of the ritual, what do you do?
- Time for some more improvisation! Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Start over.
- Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath.
- The cold of the air in the cave condenses the breath as it is released. The image of Red Widow stands before you, taking in a deep breath. As it does, she solidifies into a living, breathing, human being again.
Botching the ritual awards the Botched Ritual! temporary power.Auto: Self -Max End, -To Hit, -Res(All), -Def
Your To Hit, Defense, Resistance, and Max Endurance have all been reduced as the price paid for botching the Ritual's steps.
You've brought Red Widow back to the land of the living, but at what price?
Enemies
- None
Notable NPCs
Debriefing I'm glad Red Widow didn't just kill you when she came back. Perhaps she was thankful for you bringing her back?
The Widow in Red: Part Three
Briefing
Character, well that last mission didn't go as well as we planned. Pretty much it was an unmitigated disaster if you ask me. Red Widow is alive, and apparently insane and just as deadly as ever.
There is a problem though... one that concerns your health and well-being. It seems that Arbiter Daos has put a death-mark on Red Widow, in order to prevent her from killing Lord Recluse. Normally in this situation, we'd just sit back and let the chips fall where they may, except HERE we have a hiccup.
There was an unexpected link established by the ritual we used to bring Red Widow back to life. A soul-bond, one that isn't going to fade any time in the immediate future. If Arbiter Daos succeeds at re-killing Red Widow, you're going to die as well.
- Me? I'm going to die?
Yes, and I am sorry for that. However if you can soothe Red Widow's emotions before that can happen then the soul-bond can fade over time and Daos will call off his contract.
Not to worry though! I've already devised a fool-proof plan to fix everything!
We're going to need an ancient weapon to make this work but we'll need an expert's help in tracking it down. Speak with Mercedes Sheldon here in Pocket D. Hand her this envelope and she should be willing to help us out with our problem.
Petition Aid from Mercedes Sheldon (in Pocket D)
Unnecessary Solicitation
Speak with Mercedes Sheldon here in Pocket D. Hand her that envelope and she should be willing to help us out with our problem.
Mission Objective(s)
- Petition Aid from Mercedes Sheldon (in Pocket D)
The woman looks up at you and raises an eyebrow.
Yes, can I help you? If you can't tell, I'm trying to enjoy my time off.
- I was told to give you this envelope. / Ms. Duncan sent me to get help. / I need your help if I'm going to live.
You're met with curiosity as you hand her the envelope. She opens it and spends a few moments reading the contents of what appears to be a letter.
Is that right? ...Well now, this is an interesting proposition. I'm honestly surprised somebody out there even knew these existed, much less how to use them.
How much do you know about these relics you're after?
- Ms. Duncan said you'd explain the details. / Relics plural? I only knew it was a weapon.
She leans back and taps her chin.
I suppose that's fair, after all, I've spent many years tracking the 'weapon' that is Cupid's Bow and the Arrows of Love. I'd like to think I'm the expert who knows the most about them.
Priceless pieces of history from a forgotten age of legend and mythos...
Amazing stuff, truly! There's so much lost lore that we haven't even scratched the surface of-
- Question, how exactly will they help? / Don't forget that my life depends on this.
- Yes, Cupid's bow, and especially his arrows...
- Get hit with that and you'll fall madly in love with the next person you see. From what I understand, you need somebody to give up their burning desire for revenge, right? The arrow's magic certainly is that potent.
- The agreement in this letter states that you'll help me secure these relics in exchange for being allowed to borrow them to solve your big problem until the soul-bonding can wear off.
- Deal. How do we find Cupid?
- We don't have to find Cupid, that would likely prove nearly impossible.
- What we can find are his bow and an arrow, both of which are in the hands of private collectors who don't deserve to own such historical treasures.
- Who? Who has these items?
- Vanessa DeVore, the leader of the Carnival of Shadows, is currently in possession of the only known 'Arrow of Love'. Apparently they scratch themselves with it, using it as an aphrodisiac in some of their wilder parties... Yeah, don't ask.
- The bow needed to fire such a special missile is in the possession of one Clarissa van Dorn, although most of the world knows her by the title of Countess Crey.
- Lucky for you I've even got locations. I've been keeping tabs on these artifacts for years, waiting for the right opportunity to recover them.
- So I just need to confiscate the arrow from the carnival and the bow from Crey.
- You're likely going to have to take these objects against their owners' wills....
- Not that I'm too worried, your reputation does precede you Character.
- I'll be careful, thanks. Closes the dialogue.
- The soul-bonding isn't permanent?
- Goodness, no!
- In general, soul-bonding magic tends to be real finnicky. It's the kind of magic that would be completely useless if the side effects were permanent. No one would ever use it! The bound life-forces are only temporary, and should wear off in a couple weeks.
- Too bad for you, it sounds like you don't have weeks.
- Understood. How do we find Cupid? Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- Wait, did you just say Cupid?
- Yes?
- Please tell me that you already know who Cupid is...
- Of course I know. Everyone does. Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
- I'd like to know more.
- Cupid. At least that's what the Romans called him. Son of Venus and Mars.
- Famed for possessing a bow that fires arrows that make you fall in love.
- Wait. What was that last part? Loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
Obtain Cupid's Arrow
Unnecessary Solicitation
Mercedes said she had the locations you needed to raid for the bow & arrow didn't she? No time to lose!
Mission Objective(s)
Mercedes Sheldon's intel was right on the mark. It's exactly the type of wild Carnival party she mentioned.
- Obtain Cupid's Arrow
- Recover the Arrow of Love
You got the Arrow of Love, now to retrieve Cupid's Bow from Countess Crey!
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- Party Mistress (Carnival of Shadows Ring Mistress)
This arrow once belonged to Cupid himself. It has the power, when fired through Cupid's bow, to make someone fall irreversibly in love with someone else.
Get Cupid's Bow from Crey
Unnecessary Solicitation
Your life hinges on you obtaining Cupid's Bow... You can do it!
Mission Objective(s)
One of Crey's many warehouses. The Countess has stored the bow here for safe keeping.
- Get Cupid's Bow from Crey
- Wrest Cupid's Bow from Countess Crey's hands
You've recovered Cupid's Bow from Countess Crey!
Enemies
Notable NPCs
The famed bow of Cupid. When an Arrow of Love is fired through this bow it will cause the intended target to fall madly in love with someone else.
Debriefing
Great. You've got the arrow and the bow. Now you better catch up with Red Widow before someone takes her out. Intel has her already in Grandville, so you had best get there ASAP.
The Widow in Red: Finale
Briefing
Great work Character! We've got both Cupid's Bow and the Arrow of Love ready to go. Now we need to catch up to Red Widow before she's killed by Arbiter Daos' forces. Once you see her, you need to shoot her with the arrow.
The Arrow of Love power will be given to you at the start of this mission.
Hopefully the Arrow will cause her to fall in love with Recluse all over again and we can salvage this plan once and for all.
- I like the part where I am no longer going to die.
Yes, it might take a couple weeks but the soul-bond between you two will fade, but right now it's still going strong and you'll die if she dies, so you had better hurry and shoot her with that arrow while you both are still breathing.
Unnecessary Solicitation
Time is of the essence here, Character. The longer you wait, the more chance Arbiter Daos has of killing Red Widow, taking YOU with her!
Temporary Powers:
Beginning this mission awards the Cupid's Bow temporary power.
Foe +Love
Cupid's Bow is ready and loaded. Versus the correct target at the appropriate time, it will restore their emotions and complete the ritual.
Mission Objective(s)
The heart of Arachnos. Red Widow is here, and you better find her before their assassins do.
- Travel to Grandville, Shoot Red Widow using Arrow of Love
- 3 assassins to stop
- Shoot Red Widow using Cupid's Bow
With Red Widow shot by the Arrow of Love she has rekindled her interest in Stephan Richter, Lord Recluse.
Enemies
Notable NPCs
- Night Widow Assassin (Arachnos Night Widow Boss) x3
- Red Widow (Arachnos Red Widow Boss)
Red Widow was teleported away after being hit by Cupid's Arrow!
Lord Recluse: Welcome to my tower, Marlene.
Lord Recluse: Tell me, do you still retain the desire to end my life?
Red Widow: No, Stefan, I've returned to normal.
Lord Recluse: Excellent, that idiotic 'Cupid's Arrow' worked after all.
Lord Recluse: I'll have to thank Liberty for her help.
Red Widow: The organization has changed greatly since my demise, Stefan...
Lord Recluse: Yes, your presence helps me realize that I have strayed from my... original goals when I founded Arachnos. But no longer...
Lord Recluse: Your resurrection will usher in a new age for Arachnos, where we shall change the face of the world with our order and our technology!
Debriefing
Well, Lord Recluse has been reunited with his lost love. I think only time will tell if this actually subdues his aggression towards Paragon City. I certainly hope it was worth all the effort, and that this wasn't a colossal mistake.
As we agreed, Mercedes Sheldon took possession of the artifacts after we used them. I'm sure they'll be safe with the Midnighters.
- Badge
Completion of this story arc awards the Widow Maker badge.
You were instrumental in the resurrection of Red Widow, Lord Recluse's love from long ago. Only time will tell if this calms Recluse down or drives him to new heights of villainy.
NPC Environmental Comment
Word on the street said Character did some black ops work for Longbow recently. I wonder what for?