by Taj McCoy El
As Mayah entered she could see a town square created by the wall on two angled sides and backed by two story row-homes. They covered the city like grass. There were a few taller buildings, most of which were blocky in shape. Towards the back of the city stood a temple that dwarfed everything else in the vista. It had a domed roof that was covered in tarnished brass and surrounded by four small spires. Its stocky footprint looked to take up about 10% of the city layout. The flame floating on the plateau cast it’s light directly onto the temple making it appear even more unholy. The light pierced down through the wafting miasma creating the same effect as the sun breaking through clouds after a storm, but imagine the sun is reddish-purple and the clouds are brown. it was about as inviting as a sunset by a lake of fire. A major avenue ran from the square directly to the temple doors. The road stretched forward invitingly.
Mayah continued sweeping the area taking in as many details as she could. Margaret came to stand beside her while Vergie sat down on her other side. Grax walked up looking towards the temple. He held stilettos in his hands and Margaret still had an arrow nocked. Mayah pointed at the keep and crossed the square. When they were almost flush with the houses, Mayah noticed avenues that went to the left and the right. But ahead of them lay the avenue that was the quickest way to the big spooky temple.
Shortest distance between two points and all that…
They walked up the Main Street for about half a mile. The houses they passed were utterly quiet with windows and doors bolted shut. They had tried to open a few and even Crushing Blows and acid did nothing to the structures.
Walking around in Shadow’s Sheer Shine City Mayah thought, This is some I am legend, Last man on Earth, shaz.
Nothing made a noise. There was no breeze for signs to swing and creak in. There was no cat that suddenly jumped out at you and left your undies wet—if you didn’t count Grax. But even with all that nothing, it felt like there was something, and it was always right behind you. When you looked…it was gone, but still right behind you. None of them was immune to this empty city’s creepy charm. They could feel its breath on their necks, and they all wanted it to stop.
They went forward with the oppression bearing down upon them even harder as they progressed. They reached a line carved into the street perpendicular to the direction they were walking. It was four inches wide, incredibly dark as if it was filled with shadows. It Lay in the middle of a major avenue that ran perpendicular to their path and seemed to run the width of the city. It stood across their path like a mountain of fear sunken into the abyss of dark souls.
They stood there examining the line for details and a shadowy form crept over to them from around a corner. It was vaguely humanoid and glowed with an aura of malevolence as if they were shadows that were being cast by the purple light. More shadows appeared rapidly coalescing in the distance. The first shadow glided slowly forward. The Death Claws got ready to fight, taking a few steps back to get ready. When the shadow reached the line, it banged onto an invisible wall and slid itself back and forth trying to find a way to reach them. The other shadows approached and did the same.
Mayah noticed a darkening coming upon the city. Does this place have a day-night cycle? that could be really, really problematic. Mayah quickly made a decision based on her ability to cope with the tension this place generated.
“Uh, let’s get out of here. The shadows are getting longer. And I’m low on supplies.”
“Best Idea you’ve had all day, dear. This place…uuuhhhh.” Margaret’s whole body shuddered.
“Yeah I’m wound up so tight I might break,” Grax complained. “I’d rather get out safe than do any work now. My adrenals are blown.” His eyes jumped from shadow to shadow never lingering in one place too long.
Without waiting to see if they followed Mayah turned back onto the avenue they had started on. Their pace was as fast as a walk could be without being called a jog. Grax ran point and Margaret brought up the rear with Vergie. Mayah checked the side streets and noticed that the light cast by the flame was dimming due to the press of shadows against the barrier. The shadows around them were darkening rapidly. Her shadow eye let her see small shadow forms starting to skitter around next to buildings. She said nothing to her teammates because there was nothing that could hamper them, and she didn’t want to spook her friends or stop and examine the shady critters. When they were three blocks from the square, they all saw a great dane sized shadow bolt from one side of the street to the other.
Grax slowed down. Mayah urged him on with a push and sped up. Margaret ran up next to Mayah so she wouldn’t be separated from them as they jogged out into the square.
They slowed to conserve stamina as the square was still in the flamelight. Crossing towards the gate Mayah noticed there were shadowy shapes in their pathway. They seemed to move aimlessly around the broken gate.
“Vergie, we may need your help in a bit if we can’t get out of here,” Mayah proposed.
Vergie nodded enthusiastically.
“Okay, Mags, you’re up. Send in a dust spider. I wanna see how strong they are.”
“It would be my pleasure, dear.”
Margaret unnocked her arrow and dropped it into her quiver and pulled out another in the same motion. She drew back and aimed. The arrow flew and hit the shadow in the chest and sailed right through it sinking into the door behind it. The spider exploded into existence at the same time the shadow let out a shriek as it shied from the light. The keening shriek rose in intensity wavering, warbling, and then being joined by the other shadows.
Your party has attacked
Skaduweesp
Level: 9
-20DP Light damage
132/152HP
The Dust spider charged the skaduweesp, slashing out with the claws on its two front legs, its pedipalps twitching and its fangs glistening with venom. The slashes did nothing, going through the creature like fog. The skaduweesp wrapped shadowy tendrils around the spider’s legs and began crushing them in its grip. Its six remaining legs tried to skitter backwards but were held firmly in place. A ragged hole opened in the middle of skaduweesp’s body. The mangled legs were pulled into the void in the skaduweesp’s body and it closed onto the legs with a sickening crunch. More tendrils reached out and grasped the dust spider. They pulled the dust spider further into its body and repeated the crunching sound adding wet slurps. And the spider was defeated.
Vergie snorted.
“What is it girl?”
Vergie motioned with her head towards the skaduweesp.
“You gonna be okay?”’
Vergie nodded.
“Well, then go get’em, girl.”
Vergie ran over to the skaduweesp, who was still eating the spider, hit it with a rapid slash of her claws, then bit into its head throwing it out of the shadows and into the dungeon’s flame light. It rapidly started to burn and smolder taking on a solid shape. Vergie roared and motioned for Mayah to go get the skaduweesp, and then turned to attack the creatures that were making their way into the gate.
Mayah ran up to the skaduweesp and swung happiness at the downed foe. It connected in the oily shadows where it’s head should be, giving a solid thunk before the creature evaporated.
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated
Skaduweesp
Level:9
XP: +45
1138XP till next level
She turned to a glowing Margaret. “Mags they’re weak in the light. Send in some imps to drag them out here.”
Margaret shook off the glow of her level up and ran to the left to get an angle through the door firing three arrows in rapid succession. The explosions shook dust from the precariously hinged door. Shortly after one of her imps struggled to make it into the light. The skaduweesp had chewed itself along the imp’s arm and was currently munching on the remains of the imp’s arm and shoulder. With a final shove it gave up the ghost and fell into the light.
The skaduweesp instantly solidified a
nd began smoking. Grax threw an acid stiletto at it and it shrieked when it hit. When the acid erupted, the shrieks intensity rose before becoming a quiet susurration as it evaporated. Next came an imp carrying a skaduweesp over its shoulder. The creature was eating what was left of another imp as it was carried into the light and tossed to the cobbles with a wet splat of imp and skaduweesp. The imp beat the skaduweesp until it evaporated only leaving the leg of the downed silver imp on the ground.
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated
Skaduweesp
Level:9
XP: +45
1048XP till next level
Vergie came through the doors backwards, dragging a skaduweesp with the claws of one paw while carrying one with her mouth.
“Clear.” Margaret yelled. Vergie tossed the skaduweesps into the light at the same moment. Grax and the imp made short work of them. Margaret went through the gate, her imp turned to follow.
Vergie Gave Mayah a look that said, “Come on.” Mayah loped over to Vergie and placed her hand on her snout then went through the door with Vergie bringing up the rear. Grax was already on the other side. They all moved out into the flamelight on the bridge rather quickly, ready to be away from the shadows. Vergie peered back at the door. She whirled around and skittered back and forth kicking more than a few pebbles into the deepening darkness below. Shadows were creeping out of the abyss reaching for them from the gateway.
“Mags, put a few dolls down and tell them to stay on the edge of the shadow. Dust spiders and such should do the trick. Keep them out of the shadows and far enough from those …weesps, that they’re safe.” Mayah then turned to Vergie. "I know I said I wanted to hang out with you, but you look like you wanna play.” Vergie turned to her and nodded rapidly. “Okay, here’s the plan. Your timer runs out in about ten minutes. Go get as many of those weesps as possible and toss them to Margaret's dolls. And have fun.” Mayah smiled at the big cat giving her a friendly slap on her shoulder. Vergie’s eyes widened with anticipation.
Vergie turned and surveyed the crowd of shadows that began sliding across the square, ran towards the base and leapt into their masses with a roar. Six explosions left three dust spiders and three iron weevils standing there.
“And let the farming commence,” Mayah said spreading her arms out wide. She looked back at Margaret and Grax. “Well, you ready to go?”
“Where are we going dear?” Margaret looked confused.
“Back to the campsite of course. Do you want to be here when the shadows reach us?”
Margaret straightened abruptly. “No, I do not.”
“Vergie’s got another ten minutes or so before she dissipates. I want to be out of the dungeon to get some food some rest and do some crafting. We are surely gonna need it.
Grax just shook his head in amazement. “Leave it up to you to create an auto-farm.”
Mayah smiled as they walked towards the portal stone, their conversation as they walked disturbed only by the dings of damage reports.
✽✽✽
"I can’t believe we’re level 16 except for Mags. How many of those things has she killed?” Grax asked. As they sprawled out in the campsite.
Mayah opened her notification window, scrolled around a bit and said, “So far, thirty-seven.”
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated:
Skaduweesp
Level:9
XP: +45
2180XP till next level
“Make that thirty-eight.”
“Well, my dolls must have gone into the shadows and gotten eaten.” Margaret looked a bit despondent at the thought. “I’m starting to get low on raw materials of the stronger kind,” She said with air quotes and flopped down on the grass.
“Well, hopefully we’ll find something for you to use. Or I’ll create something,” Mayah said trying to cheer her up a bit.
“You want her to create something for you. I’m sure that’s the better choice in any situation,” Grax laughed.
“But without dolls what kind of necromancer am I?” Margaret whined, flopping her arms in her lap.
“The kind that’s also a ranger. Don’t forget, that bow added to your necromancy, but your necromancy didn’t define your archery. You still have skills that we can use, and skills you need to grind. Your life drain is going to be very useful here.” Mayah sat down and crossed her legs. The campsite was already covered in the shadows of a dark twilight.
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated
Skaduweesp
Level:9
XP: +45
2135XP till next level
“Vergie’s having a good time. Grax chuckled.
"I guess we’re still in the dungeon. That makes this the safe room.”
“Safe room?” Margaret asked.
Mayah was looking forward to the day when Margaret was no longer a noob. She was getting closer and only further experience could help her.
“Usually,” Grax launched in with the information as he sat, “a one-shot dungeon will have at least one safe room so that the players will have a place to rest without having to deal with creature respawns. That way they can log out on longer grinds. Sometimes it’s right in the beginning or they can be further in as well,” Grax added.
Mayah leaned forward grabbing their attention. “Let’s talk about what happened.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a crystal and the runeagram tarp. “We can sort our goods while we talk.”
Grax sat on his haunches and began the discussion, “My first thought is that the reason Margaret’s arrow caused damage to the weesp was the flash from the runes. Being incorporeal at will I don’t think they take much physical damage.”
“If it’s incorporeal how did it eat my dolls?” Margaret asked as she took the large tarp from Mayah and spread it out across the ground in front of them.
“Some type of limited intangibility and resistance to physical damage. Like the mist sprites? Using game logic, they’re shadow creatures, and they should be weak to light and maybe fire. If they’re undead then life might work as well.” Mayah added
“We’ve got torches to test the fire and light aspects, but nothing for life,” Margaret complained.
“I’ve got a bunch of runes so I’m sure that I can find something.”
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated
Skaduweesp
Level:9
XP: +45
2090XP till next level
Ding!!!
Summon (S) Level: 2
Shadow Vergax (S)
Level:
33 (150 ) Capped at summoner’s
level x2.1
HP:
1393 ( 5,807)
Attack:
25-64 (107-268) DP
Cooldown:
7 hours
Mana cost:
145 MP
Shadow Vergax can now remain summoned for an hour and a half and cooldown has been lowered by an hour.
30 minutes added to timer.
“Oooh, Vergie leveled.” My big bad kitty cat, I’m so proud of you, Mayah thought with pride. We’ll have to do this again tomorrow.
“This is the easiest grind ever,” Grax chuckled.
“It won’t all be so easy, though. I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet but we’re going to have to beat those shadows to complete the dungeon. Unless you want to be there in full shadow.”
“Nghhh…” Margaret winced.
“Anyway, let’s get this stuff sorted and come up with a plan. I’ve got runes to study.”
Ding!!!
Your party has defeated:
Skaduweesp
Level:10
XP: +50
2040XP till next level
“Easiest grind ever, indeed,” Margaret concurred.
“This is the ONLY…grind you’ve ever done Mags!” Grax laughed. Margaret pursed her lips tightly and the blush started rising on her face. Mayah joined in holding her b
elly. Finally, Margaret slapped at them while laughing along with them.
✽✽✽
“So, when do you think she’s going to get here?” Mephi asked Mo. They were walking along one of Drahtspule’s roman-cobbled roads exploring.
“Knowing her, not too long. She’ll have that dungeon whipped in no time,” Mo responded. They were walking up to an intersection. The buildings fencing in the avenue were four stories high with small balconies protruding from their facades. The first floor of all the buildings was the same drab olive. The upper floors were painted as individually as possible. Some had artistic murals while others were primal abstract canvases. Mo’s mind was starting to spin from art overload. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.