The Abominable Stressbeast of the Stoïkalm Steppes was the second world boss, introduced to Habitica as part of the Winter Wonderland event on January 8, 2015.
World bosses are fought by all active Habiticans, and are damaged by players using special mechanics.
Description
The first thing we hear are the footsteps, slower and more thundering than the stampede. One by one, Habiticans look outside their doors, and words fail us.
We've all seen Stressbeasts before, of course - tiny vicious creatures that attack during difficult times. But this? This towers taller than the buildings, with paws that could crush a dragon with ease. Frost swings from its stinking fur, and as it roars, the icy blast rips the roofs off our houses. A monster of this magnitude has never been mentioned outside of distant legend.
"Beware, Habiticans!" SabreCat cries. "Barricade yourselves indoors - this is the Abominable Stressbeast itself!"
"That thing must be made of centuries of stress!" Kiwibot says, locking the Tavern door tightly and shuttering the windows.
"The Stoïkalm Steppes," Lemoness says, face grim. "All this time, we thought they were placid and untroubled, but they must have been secretly hiding their stress somewhere. Over generations, it grew into this, and now it's broken free and attacked them - and us!"
There's only one way to drive away a Stressbeast, Abominable or otherwise, and that's to attack it with completed Dailies and To-Dos! Let's all band together and fight off this fearsome foe - but be sure not to slack on your tasks, or our undone Dailies may enrage it so much that it lashes out...
Objective(s)
Defeat the Abominable Stressbeast of the Stoïkalm Steppes.
Mechanics
All active Habitica players automatically participated in this quest. No opt-in was required, nor did the player need to be in a party. However, the Abominable Stressbeast never hurt any players or damaged any of the players' possessions or stats.
Players damaged the Stressbeast via the standard boss fighting mechanics: completed Dailies, completed To-Dos, positive Habits, the Warrior skill Brutal Smash, and the Mage skill Burst of Flames.
Missed Dailies did not cause this boss to damage a player's health (you still took damage if you were fighting a party Boss and for your own Dailies), but they did increase the Stressbeast's Stress bar. When the Stress Strike bar was full, the World Boss would attack an NPC. Only active Habiticans were checked for missed Dailies.
Tips
- During the Abominable Stressbeast quest, players could take part in party quests as normal (both boss quests and collection quests).
- Resting in the Inn prevented the Stressbeast's Stress from being increased due to a player's missed Dailies.
- The Data Display Tool showed the Stressbeast's current status in more detail, as well as how much damage the player did to the Stressbeast under the Quest Progress link.
Stress Strikes and Desperate Defense Storyline
First Stress Strike
Oh no, Matt is gone from the Stable!
The Stressbeast has Matt!
The first Stress Strike occurred at around 12:00 AM GMT on 14 January 2015. The Stressbeast grabbed Matt, from the stables. The following message appeared in the Tavern when the Stress Strike was cast:
Abominable Stressbeast uses STRESS STRIKE!
- The surge of stress heals Abominable Stressbeast!
- Oh no! Despite our best efforts, we've let some Dailies get away from us, and their dark-red color has infuriated the Abominable Stressbeast and caused it to regain some of its health! The horrible creature lunges for the Stables, but Matt the Beast Master heroically leaps into the fray to protect the pets and mounts. The Stressbeast has seized Matt in its vicious grip, but at least it's distracted for the moment. Hurry! Let's keep our Dailies in check and defeat this monster before it attacks again!
Second Stress Strike
The Stressbeast has taken Bailey, too!
The second Stress strike occurred around 5:20 GMT on January 19, 2015. This time, the Stressbeast grabbed Bailey in his other hand.
This message appeared in the Tavern:
Abominable Stressbeast uses STRESS STRIKE!
- The surge of stress heals Abominable Stressbeast!
- Ahh!!! Our incomplete Dailies caused the Abominable Stressbeast to become madder than ever and regain some of its health! Bailey the Town Crier was shouting for citizens to get to safety, and now it has seized her in its other hand! Look at her, valiantly reporting on the news as the Stressbeast swings her around viciously... Let's be worthy of her bravery by being as productive as we can to save our NPCs!"
Desperate Defense
This message appeared in the Tavern on January 20, 2015:
Abominable Stressbeast reaches 500K health! Abominable Stressbeast uses Desperate Defense!
- We're almost there, Habiticans! With diligence and Dailies, we've whittled the Stressbeast's health down to only 500K! The creature roars and flails in desperation, rage building faster than ever. Bailey and Matt yell in terror as it begins to swing them around at a terrifying pace, raising a blinding snowstorm that makes it harder to hit.
Third Stress Strike
"Hey! Did you know you can get more habits done by calming down?"
The Stressbeast vs. Justin.
This message appeared in the Tavern on January 21, 2015
Abominable Stressbeast uses STRESS STRIKE!
- The surge of stress heals Abominable Stressbeast!
- Look out! Justin the Guide is trying to distract the Stressbeast by running around its ankles, yelling productivity tips! The Abominable Stressbeast is stomping madly, but it seems like we're really wearing this beast down. I doubt it has enough energy for another strike. Don't give up... we're so close to finishing it off!
- We'll have to redouble our efforts, but take heart - this is a sign that the Stressbeast knows it is about to be defeated. Don't give up now!
Defeat
The following announcement was posted in the Tavern on January 23, 2015:
The Abominable Stressbeast is DEFEATED!
- We've done it! With a final bellow, the Abominable Stressbeast dissipates into a cloud of snow. The flakes twinkle down through the air as cheering Habiticans embrace their pets and mounts. Our animals and our NPCs are safe once more!"
- Stoïkalm is Saved!
- SabreCat speaks gently to a small sabertooth. "Please find the citizens of the Stoïkalm Steppes and bring them to us," he says. Several hours later, the sabertooth returns, with a herd of mammoth riders following slowly behind. You recognize the head rider as Lady Glaciate, the leader of Stoïkalm.
- "Mighty Habiticans," she says, "My citizens and I owe you the deepest thanks, and the deepest apologies. In an effort to protect our Steppes from turmoil, we began to secretly banish all of our stress into the icy mountains. We had no idea that it would build up over generations into the Stressbeast that you saw! When it broke loose, it trapped all of us in the mountains in its stead and went on a rampage against our beloved animals." Her sad gaze follows the falling snow. "We put everyone at risk with our foolishness. Rest assured that in the future, we will come to you with our problems before our problems come to you."
- She turns to where @Baconsaur is snuggling with some of the baby mammoths. "We have brought your animals an offering of food to apologize for frightening them, and as a symbol of trust, we will leave some of our pets and mounts with you. We know that you will all take care good care of them."
Quest Rewards
After defeating the Stressbeast, all Habiticans received one food for each pet breed (10 in total). Everyone also received a Savior of Stoïkalm achievement (shown below) and an adorable mammoth pet and mount (also shown below). Players who joined Habitica after this world event and who have been subscribed for three or more months may buy the pet and mount for one Mystic Hourglass each, from the Mysterious Time Travelers.
Savior of Stoïkalm Badge: Helped defeat the Abominable Stressbeast during the 2015 Winter Wonderland Event!
| Mammoth Pet | Mammoth Mount |
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