Dilemma Diabolique Trial

Dilemma Diabolique Trial
Team Size	8-16 players
Badge	Death Denied
Enemy Groups	Banished Pantheon; Demons of Diabolique; Freedom Phalanx; Vindicators;
Incarnate XP	Psychic and Physical
	Requires a VIP subscription.
	v • d • e

Overview

The Dilemma Diabolique Trial (DDT or DD) is one of the Incarnate Trials connected to the release of Issue 22 which takes place in Dark Astoria. A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 16 players can raid the Moth Cemetary.

During the mission, a voice will "radio in" information about your progress. While there is no specific contact (the trial is entered entirely through the LFG menu), it is however likely that your unseen helper is meant to be the Dream Doctor.

All Issue 20 Incarnate Components will drop during this trial, and both Psychic and Physical Incarnate Experience is gained towards unlocking the Alpha, Judgement, Lore, Interface and Destiny Incarnate Slots.

Story Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Following the emergence of Mot from Moth Cemetery in Dark Astoria, a team of Incarnates is dispatched by the Dream Doctor to stop Diabolique from using Mot's vast otherworldly powers for her twisted purposes. The Incarnates must free a series of heroes from her control, face the Sentinel of Mot, and defeat Diabolique herself inside the body of Mot (along with two heroes she is controlling).

After the Incarnates take her down, the Dream Doctor, still possessing the Dagger of Jocas, kills Diabolique.

In Detail

The Dilemma Diabolique Trial is an incarnate trial that takes place in the Moth Cemetery. There is no contact for this trial, though it could be argued that Prometheus is your contact. However, rather than going to anyone for a mission, the players use the Team-Up Teleporter to find other interested players.

Phase 1

The trial starts on a bone path leading into a plateau of the cemetery. Along the path are four Repulsive Spines protected by Banished Pantheon. The incarnates must defeat all four spines to progress to the next level.

If all four spines are defeated within one minute of each other, the Spinebreaker badge will be awarded at the completion of the trial.

Dream Doctor reaches out from... somewhere... to reassure you.

Don't listen to her. She's just trying to get in your mind, make you give yourself to her willingly.

We have a plan, and I am fairly certain it will work, so all you need to do is stick to it.
First order of business is to get through that field protecting the plateau.
I feel the energy from the fields emanating from several spines which have broken through the surface.

Find and destroy all of them, and the field should come down... I think.

As spines are being weakened:

Dream Doctor: Yes, yes, that worked just as I expected!

There was a quite tangible weakening in the energy sustaining that protective field.

Keep up the pressure! Find and destroy the rest of those spines!

Phase 2

After defeating all four spines, the incarnates proceed to the plateau, where seven heroes are being held in thrall. Not all heroes will be available each time. Each hero is marked on the map and protected by another spine and a group of Banished Pantheon. For each hero, incarnates must defeat the Banished Pantheon, click on the spine to release the hero, then defeat the hero to save him/her. Only four heroes may be saved in this stage, and each neglected hero awards a specific power to Sentinel in the later battle.

Starting from the south, and going clockwise in a circle, the captured heroes, and the powers they can grant the Sentinel, are:

Citadel or Infernal: +RES, +DEF, Hold
Positron or Valkyrie*: +DEF, +Regen, -DMG
Numina or Swan: +ToHit, +RNG, Heal/DMG Field
Sister Psyche or Luminary: +Regen, +RES, DMG Pulse
Manticore or Aurora Borealis*: +RNG, +ToHit, Weaken
Synapse or Ms. Liberty*: +RECH, +DMG, EndDrain
Back Alley Brawler or Mynx*: +DMG, +RECH, Fear

Editor's Note:

To receive the Sentinel Smasher badge, incarnates must rescue, in any order: Positron/Valkyrie, Manticore/Aurora Borealis, Synapse/Ms. Liberty, and Back Alley Brawler/Mynx.

Note that defeating the guards around a hero's spine "locks in" the choice of that hero as one of the four to be saved.

After freeing four heroes, The Sentinel of Mot will spawn on the plateau, containing one of the three remaining captured heroes, and must be defeated. When the Sentinel reaches 50/100 health, the contained hero will be freed, removing that hero's bonus powers from the Sentinel.

Once the Sentinel has been defeated, there is an untimed segment during which additional instructions may be given. However, as soon as a single incarnate enters the maw, the next phase begins.

Dream Doctor speaks to you after your success.

That was the last of the spines. The field protecting the plateau is gone!
Quickly now! Make your way up there and free as many as you can!

From the darkness, Diabolique taunts you further.

You insist on pursuing this folly, then?

Each step you make closer to Mot brings you closer to my domain... brings you closer to me.
Go ahead, free those wretched fools if you think you can. You'll never be able to get them all before they become one with Mot.
Their power will be mine, and with Dominatrix here with me, the ritual's success is assured.

But, please, keep coming closer to me... it shall make my hunting you down that much easier!

Once more, Dream Doctor speaks out against Diabolique.

Bah! She is wrong! My projections show... oh... this can't be right.

So, it turns out she's actually right. I'm showing that each of the captured heroes is struggling to retain control over themselves.
Even if you did manage to free them, I fear you will need to fight them to bring them to their senses.
And even then, it looks like you'll only be able to save four before they all become a part of Mot.

Let's just hope it's not permanent...

Once the Heroes are freed:

The ground trembles as the Sentinel appears. Diabolique speaks:

It is as I told you... you could not save them all in time.

Don't worry, though, I've seen to it that their power is put to good use.
I am sure that the new 'pet' you provided me when Marcus died will appreciate its new gifts from those I still hold.

Behold, then, my Sentinel. In these final moments before it claims you, know that all of this would have been impossible had you not interfered....

Dream Doctor contacts you once more

Ignore her taunts. This is going pretty much according to plan.

The Sentinel is the last thing standing between you and Mot.
Once that creature is out of the way, you can descend inside and bring the fight to Diabolique.

This is almost over!

Near the end of the battle:

Surprise

Dream Doctor breaks in. He seems surprised.

Wow. I certainly didn't see THAT coming. He was INSIDE that thing?
Oh, oh, I need to get him out of there!

Upon defeat of the Sentinel:

Diabolique speaks again. An unexpected confidence is in her voice.

Defeated the Sentinel have you? Ah, it's no matter. I'll make another out of your flesh and bone.
As for your, plan... please, do enter Mot. I am waiting for you here.

Dream Doctor also exudes confidence as he speaks.

You heard her! Get in there. I've tracked her to a chamber within Mot.

You should certainly reach it from the mouth stretched out before you.

Now, Diabolique is prepared, so make sure you're ready!

Phase 3

Upon entering the maw, players are given five minutes during which they must survive the onslaught. If at any point in the five minutes there are no living incarnates within the region, the trial is failed. A new wave of Banished Pantheon and Demons of Diabolique will spawn every 30 seconds during this portion.

Phase 4

At the end of the five minutes, the incarnates are teleported into another dimension where Diabolique waits, along with the two remaining captured Heroes under her control. Any players previously defeated in Phase 3 will be automatically resurrected with full health and endurance. She will give an in-game monologue, then become targetable for defeat.

Every 30 seconds during this battle, four Lifegiving Essences will spawn in the room. At the end of the 30 seconds, Diabolique will consume any undefeated essences, healing herself by 10%. Defeating the essences, on the other hand, awards a league-wide heal over time and rezzes allies?. After Diabolique consumes any remaining essences, four more will spawn. The Life and Death badge is awarded for preventing Diabolique from consuming a single Lifegiving Essence during the battle.

The Sacrificial Lamb badge is earned by defeating Diabolique without defeating either of the controlled heroes. Heroes do not possess the Scaling power making them fairly easy for a League to defeat accidentally with indiscriminate attacks despite their Level Shifts.

Any players who are defeated during this phase will strengthen Diabolique's damage and resistances, making her increasingly harder to defeat. If more than 20 defeats are accumulated in Phase 4, Diabolique will automatically defeat the entire league and the trial ends.

On the defeat of Diabolique, players view a cutscene and then receive trial rewards, including all badges earned during the trial.

In the darkness, you can see Diabolique standing over Dominatrix.

Impressive. I see that you have found your way here, and that your little helper managed to bring you through safely.

It is a shame then, that you have come all this way to stand in my realm, just to die.
I tried to be gracious... tried to give you a less agonizing death, but you persist. Now, you will suffer a torment unending.
I am Death Incarnate!
I am the ruler in this realm!

And if you will not die for me willingly, then I shall see death forced upon you!

Dream Doctor's voice breaks through to this realm.

You're there! Oh... and so is she. Excellent! This is our chance.

You just need to keep Dominatrix alive... and stop the ritual. You've made it this far though, so you can manage that.
I'm nearly finished preparing the Dagger. As soon as you've dealt the final blow to Diabolique, I'll come in and use it.

It should sever Mot's connection, and hers, to the Well... and THAT will put an end to this for good this time.

Upon defeat of Diabolique:

Dream Doctor: Your league has done enough for today. I can handle the last part.

So... you think you're going to be the one... who kills me?

Dream Doctor: I do. The Dagger of Jocas will sever all ties to that which sustains you. You will simply cease to be.

HAH! Do you think you're better than all the others who have tried and failed to kill me?!

Dream Doctor: I do.

Then you had beAAAAUUUGH!!!

Notable NPCs

Please note that all Archvillains and Heroes will be level 54(+3). Almost all other enemies will be level 54(+2), with some ambushes at level 54(+1). Level Shift and Incarnate Shifts are recommended to defeat them.

Six of the following Heroes (four in one phase, two in final phase):

Full list of enemies

Rewards

Badges

	Death Denied	Complete the Dilemma Diabolique Trial.
	Spinebreaker	Destroy all four Repulsive Spines within one minute of each other during phase 1
	Sentinel Smasher	After rescuing Positron (or Valkyrie), Manticore (or Aurora Borealis), Synapse (or Ms. Liberty), and Back Alley Brawler (or Mynx) during phase 2, defeat the Sentinel of Mot
	Sacrificial Lamb	Defeat Diabolique without defeating the two heroes under her control during the final battle
	Life and Death	Defeat Diabolique without allowing her to heal from a single Lifegiving Essence during the final battle
	Master of Dilemma Diabolique	Earn the Spinebreaker, Sentinel Smasher, Sacrificial Lamb, and Life and Death badges.

Experience

Physical Incarnate & Psychic Incarnate Experience is earned, which unlocks the Alpha, Interface, Judgement, Destiny and Lore Slots, if any of these slots are locked.

Salvage

Incarnate Threads drop instead of Incarnate Shards.
Upon successful completion of this trial, each character is presented with a reward table allowing them to choose one reward from several options. There is a participation threshold that must be met in order to receive an Incarnate Component table instead of a 10 Threads or one Super-level inspiration "consolation prize".
- If a character surpasses this threshold, the rarity of the component reward is a random roll. The options available will either be a choice of: one Common component or two Super-level inspirations, one Uncommon component or three Super-level inspirations, one Rare component or four Super-level inspirations, or one Very Rare component or five Super-level inspirations.
A random Uncommon Incarnate Component is awarded the first time each achievement badge is qualified for.
A random Rare Incarnate Component is awarded the first time the Master of Dilemma Diabolique badge is qualified for.

Merits

Two Empyrean Merits will be awarded upon successful completion of the Trial once per 20 hour period.
- Any successive completion of the Trial within that 20 hour window will instead award one Empyrean Merit. This functionality is essentially the Incarnate Trial version of Merit Reward Diminishing Returns.
An Astral Merit will be awarded immediately for freeing the fourth hero during Phase 2.
An Astral Merit will be awarded immediately for defeating the Sentinel of Mut during Phase 2.
An Astral Merit will be awarded immediately for completing the objectives of Phase 3.
An Astral Merit will be awarded immediately for defeating Diabolique during Phase 4.
An additional Astral Merit can be rewarded at the end of the trial for running as an Open League.
An additional Astral Merit can be earned if the requirements for the Spinebreaker badge are fulfilled, even if you already have the badge. It is awarded at the end of the trial.
An additional Astral Merit can be earned if the requirements for the Sentinel Smasher badge are fulfilled, even if you already have the badge. It is awarded at the end of the trial.
An additional Astral Merit can be earned if the requirements for the Sacrificial Lamb badge are fulfilled, even if you already have the badge. It is awarded at the end of the trial.
An additional Astral Merit can be earned if the requirements for the Life and Death badge are fulfilled, even if you already have the badge. It is awarded at the end of the trial.

Strategy

Dilemma Diabolique Trial

Contents