Smoking Kills

Details
{{Quest details
 * description = Pollnivneach has a new inhabitant whose name is not Ali (or any variant of Ali, curiously enough). Who could this mysterious stranger be, and how did her sister end up trapped in a dungeon filled with Slayer monsters?

Do you dare to venture into the depths beneath Pollnivneach, where unknown dangers await amid smoke and screaming? The perils will be great, but, when rescuing a damsel in distress, the act should be reward enough...
 * released    = 5 June 2008
 * start       = Speak to Sumona in Pollnivneach
 * difficulty  = 3
 * length      = Short-Medium
 * members     = Yes
 * requirements = *35 {{Skill clickpic
 * items       = *Amulet of Catspeak
 * Cat (or Kitten)
 * Ghostspeak Amulet
 * Earmuffs
 * Facemask
 * Combat gear
 * Range and mage equipment
 * Decent food (monkfish or better)
 * Pickaxe (can be obtained during the quest)
 * Waterskins

Note: Sacred clay armour may be useful for this quest, as all three forms of combat are used and sacred clay armour can transform itself to each of the forms.

Recommended: For faster transportation: }}
 * Camulet
 * Pharaoh's sceptre
 * Played-owned House in Pollnivneach or a few coins for Magic carpet rides
 * Ring of charos
 * Super energy potions
 * Rope (if you haven't completed Dealing with Scabaras).
 * kills       = *3 Skeletons (level 31)
 * 3 Skeletons (level 53)
 * 2 Mummy Warriors (level 54)
 * Mighty banshee (level 90)
 * Banshee Mistress (level 111)

The missing twin sister

 * Speak to Sumona in the house marked by the Quest icon in north Pollnivneach, east of the Rug Merchant.


 * She tells you that her sister, Jesmona, has been caught by a monster and trapped under the well in the centre of the town. She asks for your help—accept!


 * When you try to climb down the well, a cat called "Ali Cat" stops you in a cutscene.


 * Equip a Catspeak Amulet to speak to Ali Cat.


 * It warns you about the dangers of the well, which require wearing earmuffs and face mask at the same time.


 * Ali Cat tells you to find a dead Slayer master called Catolax and have a talk with him to learn how to combine these items.


 * The cat gives you hints that he is buried at the ruins of Ullek, east of the Agility Pyramid.

Over the desert and through the swamp
Note: Before this next step, make sure you have the following items: Amulet of Ghostspeak, Amulet of Catspeak, cat (or kitten), and equipment for long-range combat (runes to cast attack spells and/or ranging equipment). Food is optional for lower levels (85 to 95 combat). If you have not done Dealing with Scabaras, bring a rope to set up a handy shortcut.


 * Either take the magic-carpet ride to Nardah (or Sophanem) or walk to the Agility Pyramid. Go south-east from the agility entrance to the Pyramid, and you find a swamp. SK scarabmonster.png (top left), crocodile (top right), and Locust lancer (bottom) in the swamp.]]


 * Be aware of the locust, scabarites, and crocodiles here. Turn on the Protect from Melee prayer, if necessary.


 * Make your way to the north-west part of the swamp by pushing through the reeds (it's not far, but the swamp is distinctly maze-like), go up the pillar and stairs, and arrive at a plateau with the lead and assistant archaeologists and a water source.

Note: If you haven't before, go west, climb over a small rock wall, and use your rope on a piece of rock jutting out over the edge (watch out for the Mummies! level 125). This will make getting here in the future much easier! (Climbing the rope requires level 40 agility, so if you do not have 40 or higher, don't bother with the rope part.)


 * Walk through the pass north of the archaeologists. Be careful of the level 115 skeletons. (You can refill your waterskins here if you wish.)


 * Enter the first dungeon you see to the west (search the sealed door).

Catolax in the tombs
You are in a tomb with a few doors and traps.

Note: If you log out while in the tombs, you will be back on the plateau, just outside the entrance to the dungeon, when you log back in.


 * Search the tomb near the entrance for a Steel pickaxe: You see it in the wall.


 * Click the little hole in the base of the wall either to the east or west (choose the option "Search A holey wall"), and your cat helps you navigate through.


 * If your cat remains in your inventory, drop it and then try again.


 * Talk to your cat again, and it has "some special advice from special sources."

Note: While the area you are about to enter is multicombat, a cannon will not hit any of the skeletons inside the chamber.


 * Go through the entrance your cat just opened in either the east wall (with three skeleton mages who are level 53) or the west wall (with three skeleton rangers who are level 31) and fight the skeletons.


 * Each side's skeletons are across a chasm and thus unattackable with melee. On the west path, the skeletons use range and are most vulnerable to magic. On the east path, the skeletons use magic and are most vulnerable to range. Either way, three opponents firing at once will whittle your hit points, so turn off Auto retaliate and focus on killing them one by one to reduce incoming fire. Prayer may be a good idea, unless you have lots of food or high Defence.


 * Once they are dead, use your pickaxe on the broken door to the north.


 * An alternative is to run in and break the door as the skeletons notice you, although this will require leaving and re-entering the room (at least twice).

Warning:  After you've destroyed the door, do not walk into the room yet! Traps on the walls can hit up to 19 hit points, so disarming the traps first would be a great idea.


 * Take a close look, and use the "Search wall" option—not the "Search Odd markings"—to disarm the traps. Mouse over the wall carefully to find the correct option.


 * You can pass the traps once you have searched the wall.


 * Once you have passed two sets of traps, open the door at the end of the hall and enter the room.


 * The room has some zombies and skeletons. They have varied combat levels, and none is a serious threat. On the other hand, with the level 69 zombies hitting at least to 10, and the potential to be caught in a crossfire with their missile- or magic-casting skeleton companions, you could easily be hurt seriously.


 * Kill the zombies and skeletons, wait a moment, and a level 54 Mummy Warrior will climb out of the tomb.


 * The Mummy warrior will not be awakened unless you turn all protection prayers off first. Even though he's not much of a threat to those with 95 and higher combat, to lower levels, he's got decent defence and can still hit up to 8 so feel free to turn on Protect from Melee once you get him out of his tomb.


 * Kill the Mummy warrior and pick up the key—it will either be a Magic path key or a Ranged path key, depending on which path was chosen.


 * Now, use the key to open the door, and once inside, pull the lever.


 * Walk back out to the centre again. You will not set off traps on this side any more after you have pulled the lever.




 * If you did the ranged side, now it's time to do the mage side! Or vice-versa. Don't forget to disarm the traps in the second room!


 * Once you've pulled the levers on both sides, the traps in the centre pathway are disabled too.


 * Go back to the centre and walk over the disabled traps.


 * Note: With the traps, clicking "Pass" or "Search" should tell you that they're disabled. Walking over them is all you need to do.


 * After you pass the traps, you reach the dead slayer master Catolax. Equip your Ghostpeak amulet, and talk to him. You have a "momentary insight, from a source that is completely unknown" and then know how to combine a Facemask with a pair of Earmuffs.

The Banshees in the well

 * Go to the bank, get your supplies, and make your way back to the well in Pollnivneach.


 * If you have not made it already, take your Earmuffs and use them with your Facemask to get a new item, the masked earmuffs.


 * Put on your masked earmuffs, and go down the well.


 * Note: Do not go west, or else you will go into the Smoke Dungeon from Desert Treasure.


 * Head north, and kill a level 90 Mighty banshee to get a Banshee voice.


 * If you don't get it the first time, keep trying as it is not a rare drop.


 * As the Mighty Banshees appear to use a magic-based melee attack, fighting them in black dragonhide seems more successful than, for example, dragon armour. Use Protect from Melee prayer if required.


 * Use the Banshee voice on the glowing red, wavering mystic barrier directly to the north.

The Banshee Mistress

 * You see a cutscene showing the level 141 Insectoid Assassins and a level 111 Banshee Mistress.


 * Shortly, the Banshee Mistress attacks you.


 * Warning:  Switch on the Protect from Range prayer slightly before the Banshee Mistress reaches half health, or you may be hit by up to 72 damage from the powerful Insectoid Assassins she calls to her aid.


 * The mistress mainly uses melee, but she also casts Water Blast at a distance, so using the Protect from Melee prayer for the first half of the fight with good magic defence armour such as Dragonhide armour is suggested. She is relatively easy at the beginning, but she calls the assassins to help her with rapid ranged attacks when she has less than half health.


 * The Banshee Mistress will occasionally sound an acoustic attack, which may deal up to 13 damage and knock you down.


 * Good food, preferably lobsters or above, is suggested. It is still possible for a level 85 to kill the Banshee Mistress with monkfish, but sharks are recommended if you want to be safer. You can also bring a familiar here: A bronze minotaur or higher should do the trick.


 * Note: If you die when fighting the mistress, you will be able to go back to your gravestone and retrieve your items. However, your gravestone will spawn outside of the banshees lair, so having several masked earmuffs in the bank is a good idea.


 * A Dragon dagger(p++) is useful against the Banshee Mistress for its special attack.


 * Although the room has few safe spots, if you have a high range or mage level, don't be put off ranging or maging as it is quite possible. You can use a Dragon halberd to kill her as well.


 * A safe spot in the room is in the far south-east corner. You must pass through the barrier from this point. The mistress will attack you, cornering you, and once she gets to low health, the assassins can't reach you.


 * After you kill the mistress, you see a short cutsene, and Catolax then speaks to you.


 * Go back to Sumona, and talk to her.


 * She insists that you put your cat (or kitten) in your backpack before she will talk to you.

Congratulations! Quest Complete!

Note: If you wish, you may go back to Catolax (who now appears down the well, just inside the dungeon you discovered) to learn some information and background details about the area and Sumona.

Reward



 * 1 Quest Point
 * New Slayer Master in Pollnivneach
 * "Slayer Rewards"
 * Ability to construct slayer items
 * Access to new slayer dungeon: the Desert Slayer Dungeon
 * 5,000 Slayer experience

Slayer Rewards
After this quest, a player earns slayer reward points for each slayer assignment completed. More for assignments from higher level masters. Points add up until used, or until a task is changed. Slayer reward points may be exchanged for:

The Ability to purchase:
 * Slayer experience
 * Slayer ring
 * Runes used to cast Magic Dart
 * Broad-tipped bolts
 * Broad arrows

The Ability to craft:
 * Slayer ring
 * Slayer helmet
 * Broad-tipped bolts
 * Broad arrows

Miniquest: Desert Slayer Dungeon

 * See main article: Desert Slayer Dungeon (miniquest)

After the quest, it is possible to navigate the Desert Slayer Dungeon, an extension to the Smoke dungeon, that is located below the area of the Mighty banshees.

Music
Music unlocked:
 * Cool for Ali Cats
 * Desert Smoke
 * Slain to Waste
 * Under the Sand

Trivia

 * On the day of release, the spoilers said, "We're having to cut a deal with Sumona in order to access the rewards scroll. Please check back tomorrow."


 * The title of the quest seems to come from the warning that "smoking cigarettes kills." However, the developer later posted on the forums that this was merely a pun and had no intentional meaning. This was also confirmed by Mod Emilee.




 * When you spoke with or contacted your slayer master with your Enchanted gem during a task you were assigned prior to this update, the master would tell you "We seem to have lost your records in our recent reshuffle", and you are unable to determine your progress in your task.


 * This was the second quest that had a required minimum Combat level (level 85) to complete (after Dream Mentor was released on 15 May 2007).


 * Once you defeat the Banshee Mistress and view the cutscene, the slayer master whom you found in the tombs does not require a ghostspeak amulet to talk to (when he talks to you just after the defeat of the mistress). You still need a ghostspeak amulet if you wish to communicate with him afterwards.


 * Upon the release of this quest, almost all the slayer monsters' graphics changed, leaving a small amount unchanged.


 * A glitch was discovered: When a player changes himself to female and switches to certain type of long hair while wearing a slayer mask, the character's head will become warped when doing emotes or other activities.


 * If you have a cat out, Sumona will grow angry and not talk to you.


 * If you run into the sarcophagus while it is opening, you get stuck in the middle and are not able to move.


 * The song title of "Cool for Ali Cats" may be a takeoff of the song "Cool for Cats" by Squeeze.
 * There is a glitch where, when the player uses the Banshee voice on the barrier, you see a loading screen, then, with a glimpse of the Banshee mistress, the player is teleported back without fighting, and has to obtain another banshee voice. If this occurs, simply go up the well and climb back in.