The Dread Drag'on of Dilatory was the first world boss, introduced to Habitica as part of the Summer Splash event.[1] It was introduced on July 1, 2014 and defeated on August 2.
World bosses are fought by all active Habiticans, and have special mechanics that permit players to damage them.
Description[]
We should have heeded the warnings.
Dark shining eyes. Ancient scales. Massive jaws, and flashing teeth. We've awoken something horrifying from the crevasse: the Dread Drag'on of Dilatory! Screaming Habiticans fled in all directions when it reared out of the sea, its terrifyingly long neck extending hundreds of feet out of the water as it shattered windows with its searing roar.
"This must be what dragged Dilatory down!" yells Lemoness. "It wasn't the weight of the neglected tasks - the Dark Red Dailies just attracted its attention!"
"It's surging with magical energy!" @Baconsaur cries. "To have lived this long, it must be able to heal itself! How can we defeat it?"
Why, the same way we defeat all beasts - with productivity! Quickly, Habitica, band together and strike through your tasks, and all of us will battle this monster together. (There's no need to abandon previous quests - we believe in your ability to double-strike!) It won't attack us individually, but the more Dailies we skip, the closer we get to triggering its Neglect Strike - and I don't like the way it's eyeing the Tavern ....
Objective(s)[]
Defeat the Dread Drag'on of Dilatory.
Mechanics[]
All active Habitica players were automatically participating in this quest. No opt-in was required and players did not need to be in a party. However, the Drag'on never hurt any players nor damaged any of the players' possessions or stats.[2]
Players damaged the Drag'on via the standard boss fighting mechanics: completed Dailies and To Do's damaged the boss, but Habits did not. Only active Habiticans were checked for missed Dailies, which did not cause damage to a player's health, but did increase the Drag'on's Rage bar, which resulted in a Neglect Strike.
When a Neglect Strike hit, the rage bar emptied, starting over from zero. Multiple rage attacks were a possibility over the course of the quest.
Tips[]
- During the Dread Drag'on of Dilatory quest, players could take part in their own party quests as per usual quest rules (both boss quests and collection quests).
- Mages casting Burst of Flames and Warriors casting Brutal Smash within their own party quests dealt additional damage to the Drag'on.
- Resting in the Inn prevented a player's incomplete Dailies from increasing the Drag'on's Rage.
- The Data Display Tool showed the Drag'on's current status in more detail, as well as how much damage the player had done to the Drag'on, under the Quest Progress link.
Neglect Strikes[]
The Tavern aflame!
The Dread Drag'on of Dilatory's first Neglect Strike occurred at 1am GMT on 16 July 2014.[3] The Drag'on smashed and set fire to the Tavern. The following message appeared in the Tavern when the Neglect Strike hit:
Dread Drag'on Casts NEGLECT STRIKE!- Oh no! Despite our best efforts, we've let some Dailies get away from us, and their dark-red color has attracted the Drag'on's rage! With its fearsome Neglect Strike attack, it has decimated the Tavern! Luckily, we've set up an Inn in a nearby city, and you're free to keep chatting on the shore... but poor Daniel the Barkeep just saw his beloved building crumble around him! I hope the beast doesn't attack again!
Avoided Neglect Strikes[]
Because the denizens of Habitica defeated the Dread Drag'on quickly, they avoided the following catastrophes:
The foundered Stables
Dread Drag'on Casts NEGLECT STRIKE!- Yikes! Once again we left too many Dailies undone. The Drag'on has unleashed its Neglect Strike against Matt and the stables! Pets have been fleeing in all directions. Luckily it seems like all of yours are safe!
- Poor Habitica! I hope this doesn't happen again. Hurry and do all your tasks!
The Market destroyed
Dread Drag'on Casts NEGLECT STRIKE!- Ahhh!! Alex the Merchant just had his shop smashed to smithereens by the Drag'on's Neglect Strike! But it seems like we're really wearing this beast down. I doubt it has enough energy for another strike.
- So do not waver, Habitica! Let's drive this beast away from our shores!
The Defeat Of The Dread Drag'On Of Dilatory[]
The Dread Drag'On of Dilatory was defeated at approximately 4:15am GMT on Friday 1 August 2014.
The Defeat of the Dread Drag'On of Dilatory
- We've done it! With a final last roar, the Dread Drag'on collapses and swims far, far away. Crowds of cheering Habiticans line the shores! We've helped Matt, Daniel, and Alex rebuild their buildings. But what's this?
The Citizens Return!
- Now that the Drag'on has fled, thousands of sparkling colors are ascending through the sea. It is a rainbow swarm of Mantis Shrimp... and among them, hundreds of merpeople!
- "We are the lost citizens of Dilatory!" explains their leader, Manta. "When Dilatory sank, the Mantis Shrimp that lived in these waters used a spell to transform us into merpeople so that we could survive. But in its rage, the Dread Drag'on trapped us all in the dark crevasse. We have been imprisoned there for hundreds of years - but now at last we are free to rebuild our city!"
- "As a thank you," says his friend @Ottl, "Please accept this Mantis Shrimp pet and Mantis Shrimp mount, as well as this feast and our eternal gratitude."
Promotional Art[]
Artwork featuring the Drag'on was created by UncommonCriminal.
Rewards[]
After defeating the Drag'on, all Habiticans received one of each preferred food item (10 in total). Everyone also received a Savior of Dilatory achievement and a resplendent mantis shrimp pet and mount (shown below). Players who joined Habitica after this world event and have received a Mystic Hourglass for three or more months of consecutive subscription can purchase these old World Boss rewards from the Mysterious Time Travelers.
Savior of Dilatory Badge: Helped defeat the Dread Drag'on of Dilatory during the 2014 Summer Splash Event!
Savior of Dilatory achievement badge
| Mantis Shrimp Pet | Mantis Shrimp Mount |
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Originally, this quest rewarded 900 XP and 90 GP; however, it was realized that large XP and GP rewards unbalanced the game for low-level players, so that reward was removed and replaced by food rewards. Habiticans who still wanted the bonus XP and GP were encouraged to use the Fix Character Values function on the Settings page to claim them.[4]
Development and Credits[]
- Release date: July 1, 2014
- Writers: Lemoness
- Artists: Boss - Baconsaur, NPCs - Lemoness, Pet and Mount - Ottl
Trivia[]
Real life mantis shrimp do indeed live deep in cracks and burrows. It is not known whether they actually have awesome magical powers, but their striking iridescent colors make it look like they could. Their strike can produce light and intense heat. There are several species of real life mantis shrimp; the base Mantis Shrimp is quite similar in coloring to the purple spot mantis shrimp.
References[]
- WOW, WHAT'S GOING ON?! (a description of the Dread Drag'on glitch that caused the Drag'on to appear defeated in the middle of the battle)