Tuba Archmage

> "Remove all that exists of that traitorous Tuba who deserved no such position"
>
>

Tuba Archmage is a boss in The Chronicles of Tuba. No matter what path you may take, this boss is mandatory, as he guards the cello rune, one of the seals protecting the Tuba King's castle.

### Lore

The Tuba Archmage was once a disciple of magic under his predecessor, the Brassomancer. Though his teacher was gone for battle most of the time, nevertheless he advanced in ranks quickly through his ambition and seemingly innate magical prowess. When the Brassomancer had his fight against the King, the Archmage at the time was absent, instead studying in the plains surrounding the great Tuba Cathedral. Shortly after the incident, the tuba was approached by king himself, and was offered the position of Archmage. He took it, and immediately moved into the great castle, permanently. In the tower that was now his, he turned to one of the servants and famously said, "This tower reeks of languish, anger, smoke, and treason. Remove all that exists of that traitorous Tuba who deserved no such position. In return, I'll teach all you servants basic magic to help with your day." And so he immediately set up, turning his tower into one that attracted learners, not scare them away. Unlike his predecessor, he mostly stayed in the castle to teach all that were accepted, and he rarely went into battle (though he still taught battle and elemental magic).
When the King asked of him and the others who would hold the seals of a way to protect the castle, he was the one to come up with the idea of seals. The great priest added on to it by giving the idea of runes to hold these in place, not many advanced spellcasters. The Grand General had nothing to add, but he agreed with them and they presented the idea to the king. The King took it in a heartbeat and had them make it. The king himself made and granted the contra-bass rune to the Grand General, and engraved it into his mech. The Priest used the holy rune, and the Archmage the cello rune, stealing it from the abandoned string palace. The Archmage then went to Castle Di Molto, in Tubaneé, to create for himself a secure position for the cello rune, as he would be far too busy in his own tower. To easily access the rune, he made a teleportation circle and an alarm system if the castle would ever be attacked.

### Befriending

Tuba Archmage, although hostile on sight, can become friendly if the Maestro has previously killed the Brassomancer and proved it, or if the Maestro strikes a deal to kill the Brassomancer in return for a "great reward". He can become an ally if he is persuaded and convinced that the Tuba King is a tyrant and not what he seems. Otherwise, be ready for a whollop.
In battle, he serves more as a support unit rather than a tank. He has both offensive and defensive spells, all of which are potent, but some situational. After arriving at the Tuba Castle, he departs and goes on his own way, claiming that he can't fight the king, as it would be a one-sided battle and that your glory is not his.

### Battle

Tuba Archmage is a deadly adversary, having a myriad of spells under his belt as well as a special attack unique to him. No matter what instrument you may be proficient in, Maestro is going to have a hard time.
Like the Tuba Wizard, the Archmage can cast elemental and brass spells, however his elemental spells are much deadlier and his brass spells far greater than the Tuba Wizard's. He can create a tidal wave, summon a great fireball, cast lightning bolts from above that strike almost instantly and require nigh perfect timing, and shatter the earth with a huge, but telegraphed, AOE. He can also create elementals, but only two of the same element. With these on the battlefield, his defensive spells become much more effective.
When one gets within melee range, he has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the pressure. He is armed with a brass longsword, however he can enchant it with Fortissimo's power for one hit, which, as it suggests, will make the attack to much more damage. He can also hit his staff on the ground to create a small AOE that does moderate arcane damage, but will send you flying. Of course, he can apply Constitution of the Tuba on himself, however if he can't do anything else, all he can do is teleport away.
When he reaches 60% HP, he honks but also creates a tornado around him, sending anyone within range away. The tornado itself does not deal damage, but flying into a wall will. Otherwise, he gains only a few new moves. He can now cast strings of fury and flight (both with no limit), but the greatest thing to watch out for is his Marcato Honk. He can use it in two ways, one to create a sheild around him and any of his allies (elementals or alarmed Tuba soldiers) which absorb ALL damage from three attacks (can be broken with Timpani's boom or a Double Bass bow), or direct it in a cone AOE in front of him which emits a massive shockwave that deals a tremendous amount of damage (most likely a one shot) and both stuns and deafens anyone in it (except Tubas). The only way to dodge is to get close, and even then it has a short telegraph. Other than that, here is his other moves to worry about:

* Treble Triangle
* Curse of Tenor
* Heavenly Lightning
* Great Fireball
* Strings of Fury (phase 2)

### Drops

* 90,000 whatever currency (killed or befriended)
* Espressivo staff (killed)
* Cello rune (killed or befriended)
* Longsword(enchanted with Fortissimo) (killed)