S.I.T. (Rufus's Lab)

S.I.T. (Rufus's Lab)
Region	S.I.T. Campus, Porkham
Area	S.I.T (Steam Tunnels)
Unlocked by	Exploring the S.I.T. Steam Tunnels

Rufus's Lab is where Rufus does science things so he can find his sibling.

Quests

Rufus needs to create a crystal ball, but using science instead of magic. He needs you to bring him several components to make it happen.

The Fishmother's Pearl

If you agree to help Rufus, your first task is to gather at least three fishman roe.

• Get the antique manhole opener.
• Collect roe from at least three of these places:
  • A Steamy Cavern - Down the Steam Tunnels a bit from the lab, grab some roe with 5 Hot Armor.
  • A Fishman... Restaurant? - Below the secret restaurant near Rufus's lab, spend a total of 126 to buy two buckets of chum, a fishman throwing spear, some fish-liver oil, and some roe.
  • Fishman Church (fight required) - Defeat a shadowy triangle and three Fishman Acolytes in Zeta Omega Omicron's basement and retrieve some roe. This will ruin your chance at a peaceful interaction with the Fishmother, in case that matters to you.
  • Underground Fishman Boxing Club (fight required) - Under The Watchful Eye Office, you must unequip your weapon to enter the fight here. You may want to maximize your Muscle / Melee Weapon Damage, or get as many Action Points as you can and make good use of your class skills. Beat up two Fishman Boxers to get the roe and a championship belt.
  • Underground Fishman Bar - Accept the plumber job at Goldthwait Park if you haven't already. Talk to the half-drunk half-fishman on the right and insult his head. Defeat him in a fight, or out-drink him with 7 Muscle, to get some roe and a nasty mug.
  • Fishman Casino - Under St. Polycarp's, place a few bets at the table on the left until you win some roe.

Return to Rufus. He needs you to get The Fishmother's pearl from The Fishmother. You can also give Rufus any extra fishman roe to convert them to scrambled fishman eggs.

• He covers you in Rufus' Fish Goo and gives you a municipal contraption and Rufus' special rag.
  • You can use the rag to get rid of the goo effect. Return to Rufus at any time to re-apply the goo, which is needed to reach the Fishmother's lair.
  • The goo is no longer needed after the first time you jump through the hole. You can go back in whenever.
• Head to River Bridge, open the municipal ladder, go down, and then down again into the slimy hole.
• Talk to the Fishmother in her lair. Your options:
  • Ask politely for the pearl. If you haven't killed any fishmen, she gives you the pearl. Otherwise, she refuses, giving you a count of how many of her children you've killed.
    • It's not required, but you might make sure you have Brag/Bewitch/Bamboozle (6^ish mainstat) for a bonus reward.
    • The boxing club is a nonlethal fight; while it ruins any Pacifist attempt, the fishmother doesn't mind you engaging in violent sport with some of her rowdier kids.
  • Fight her. When she's defeated, you gain access to the nursery cave and the pearl.
  • Wearing the terribly cursed fedora, try and fail to defeat her with shadow speech.

Pirate Radio

This quest unlocks on Day 4. Rufus wants to tap into the radio network.

• Call Rufus on the telephone at Murray's Antique Store.
• Get Rufus' transmitter and Rufus' receiver from him at his lab.
• Install the transmitter in the WGCR Radio Shack in The Big Moist. See that location page for details about getting past the enemies.
• Then go to 11 different radios to test the transmissions. See Radios for the list.
• Return to Rufus. Get 50 and ask him for a random ring.

An Antenna

This quest unlocks on Day 5. Rufus needs a magical(ish) antenna.

• Call Rufus again from the antique store.
• Speak to him in his lab.
• Travel Gray County until you find Puckwudgie Village.
• There's a ladder on the right side of the (relatively) big apartment building. Grab it with 7^ish Muscle.
• Bring the small steel ladder to Rufus in his lab.
• He now sends you to The Burbling Ooze. With 6^ish Hot Armor and Sleaze Armor, get a handful of black ooze.
• Bring the ooze to The H***hole; you can find it by wandering Gray County or go see Rufus again for directions. Take a look at the sign, get 8^ish Stench Armor, and throw the ooze in to transform it into a glob of burning pitch.
• Give Rufus the burning glob at his lab. You get 55 and he expresses his gratitude.

Final Chapter

Rufus can help you get into The Black House in Chapter 6 if you completed his quests.

Interactions

• A lab bench.
• A bookshelf with A Treatise on a Treatise on Metareferentiality.
• A mirror.
• Rufus' metal detector, if you are looking for a lost key.
• A crate of arcane hot plates.
• Search a big pile composed of 80% garbage and 20% miscellaneous electrical parts for something useful:
  • With 5^ish Moxie, find chunk of lead, 11-in-1 oil, piece of scrap metal.
  • With 7^ish Moxie, find a pocket battery and gold-plated cable.
  • With 9^ish Moxie, find prototype electro-helmet.
  • With 11^ish Moxie, find short-circuiting electric prod.
  • With 13^ish Moxie, find steam-powered pants.
• A robot battle arena, where you can fight infinite robots (drops anarchist's hardware, piece of scrap metal, robot fuel, slab of heat-resistant plating).
• After seeing the swarming beans at The Ford Compound, you can ask Rufus about bean magic. He'll give you a 5700Hz whistle, which can dispel the bean field.

People

• Rufus