Crota

by Rohan M Vider

  She glanced at cardinal Silas, who looked on impassively. How much more of this did she have to go through, she wondered.

  Ignoring her silent query, cardinal Silas prompted, "Ready for the next, my lady?"

  Gritting her teeth, Sara resumed her battle stance and answered, "I am."

  Into the Mines

  The base regeneration rate of all energy forms (will, essence, stamina) is 3% per hour. Assuming a pool of 1000 essence, this translates to 30 essence per hour. The regeneration rate is improved by the regeneration skills. Each skill level improves the base regeneration rate by 0.24%. For example, a player with level 100 spell regeneration, will regenerate 9 x faster than the baseline, i.e. a total of 27% per hour (in the case of the player with an essence pool of 1000 this equates to 270 essences per hour). Sleeping increases the regenerate rate by a factor of 5 – Mechanics of the Game by legendary scholar and champion of Weeran, Jostfyler Graldvir.

  Kyran slept fretfully, haunted by memories of his former life. He felt its loss more keenly today, conjured as they were by his dreams. He had dreamt of his adopted family. Kyran had been an orphan. His earliest memories were of living in a box, in some nameless, misbegotten alley. Life on the street had been hard, especially for a young boy with no protector. He had run wild with the other street kids and looked to be destined for a life of crime in one of the city’s many street gangs. That had all changed one fateful day. The first turning point in his life.

  Jonas, whose store had been a source of sustenance for many a young street waif, had caught him stealing, of all things, apples. What, he wondered, would his life had been, if not for that irascible old man. For all his scowls and fierce looks, the old man had a heart of gold. He had taken pity on a nameless young boy, and given him a home. He missed the old man keenly. He hoped Jonas had not taken news of his death too harshly. He knew the old man would have understood his actions on the bridge, even if they had not turned out well.

  Feeling his grief well up again, he pushed it back and turned his attention to the game message flashing for attention in his mind.

  You have slept 9 hours. Will, essence and stamina completely replenished (regeneration rate x 5 during sleep).

  The date is 02 Jul 2603 AB, and the time 12:05.

  He was pleasantly surprised by this news. He had planned to rest and recover the whole day, this was no longer necessary. After a light breakfast (of rock beetle), he scryed the citadel guardroom to establish if aught had changed. The skeletal warriors remained in the same position. Buoyed by yesterday’s success and his restored energy pools, he felt optimistic about the day ahead, and in that vein, decided on a whim, to more fully explore the citadel.

  He cast truesight and blend; and activated show hostiles. With his increased scrying level, the radius of show hostiles had doubled to thirty metres. He would maintain it while scouting the guardroom, then deactivate it thereafter to conserve essence.

  He set off cautiously down the corridor, alert for any sign of enemies. As he approached the entrance to the citadel guardroom, three red dots appeared on his map. He stilled. The dots did not move. He inched forward until he reached the entrance. All six skeletal warriors were now revealed, as stationery red dots on his map.

  Warily, he peered into the room. With his improved air magic skill, his truesight had increased to eight metres and allowed him to see the entire room. The skeletal warriors were in the exact same position as revealed by his original scrying. Their detection cones were much larger than the rock beetles, but standing at the door, he remained outside their range. He probed the closest with his insight.

  Creature: Skeletal Warrior

  Type: Reanimated Dead

  Rarity: Common

  Level: 10

  Health: 120 / 120

  Attack: 10-15 (slashing)

  Defences (Physical/ Psi/ Spell): 12 / Invulnerable / 10

  Special Effects:

  Defenceless against divine (+75% holy damage).

  Vulnerable to fire (+25% fire damage).

  Master level piercing attack physical resistance (-75% damage) due to lack of living flesh.

  Description:

  Skeletal warriors are the reanimated remains of fallen warriors. They are mindless creatures that have lost all semblance of sentience and rely solely on their masters for direction. They are generally programmed with simple tasks which they fulfil unto destruction. Due to their lack of mind, skeletal warriors are immune to psionic attacks.

  Six level 10 skeletal warriors against one level 3 player. Those were impossible odds, he knew. No matter how confident he felt. Ever so carefully he edged away, and made his way back to the portal room. The exit through the citadel was a dead end – for now.

  With no other choice, he returned to the mine guardroom. He scavenged the room but did not find anything useful. Thereafter he made his way to the only path left open to him, the tunnel at the far end of the guardroom. Unlike the previous corridors that he had travelled, which were arrow straight and fully bricked, the mine tunnel before him was rough-hewn and curved off in the distance. The walls were bare rock, and the roof was periodically supported by wooden arches. The tunnel was wide and tall, enough so, for three humanoids to walk upright and abreast of each other.

  He briefly debated scrying the tunnel before proceeding, but not having a map and noting the curved nature of the tunnel, he was just as likely to scry solid rock as he was tunnel. The essence was better spent on show hostiles. He activated it, recast blend, retrieved the longsword from his inventory and proceeded down the tunnel.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Two hours later, exhausted, Kyran paused at a convenient boulder to rest. His hike through the mine tunnels had been uneventful thus far. Tense watchfulness had quickly morphed into boredom, as mile after mile of walking revealed nothing more than the same dreary tunnels. He had long since returned the sword to his inventory. He had followed the tunnel as it curved left and right, and meandered up and down. He had no idea how far he had travelled, but had the impression that he was now much deeper in the earth. Thus far, there had been no branches in the tunnel.

  Feeling better for the rest, he wearily dragged himself to his feet and continued his exploration. After another hour of endless walking, Kyran perked up. The tunnel was changing, almost imperceptibly so, broadening ever so gradually. Alert once more, Kyran slowed but kept on walking. The tunnel continued to widen, until eventually, it opened into a massive underground cavern. Crouching at the entrance, Kyran’s truesight could not penetrate either its depths or heights. He had the feeling of standing before a large open space. The cavern appeared safe enough, with no hostiles visible on his map.

  Checking that his blend was active, he equipped the longsword and advanced warily into the cavern. He had progressed no more than twenty metres, when he heard a faint skittering. He stilled. More beetles? he wondered. He checked his map, but did not detect any hostiles. Confused, but unable to spot a threat, he pressed on. Only to be interrupted by more skittering, this time much closer. He froze once again. To proceed any further would be foolhardy. Guardedly, he backed away. Best to be cautious, he thought. The skittering came again. It almost sounded as if…

  Too late, he looked up. From the inky darkness sticky webs shot down, and in a matter of seconds, completely ensnared him. Before he could think to escape, he was yanked viciously upwards. The web was reeled in with bewildering speed, dragging Kyran helplessly along. His upwards fall halted abruptly, as he crashed unceremoniously into a web that was set aquiver with his arrival. Dazed, by this rapid turn of events, it was a few moments before Kyran understood his predicament. He was trapped in a massive web, attached to the cavern roof.

  Comprehending the danger, he struggled to free himself, but the strands binding his arms were too tight. His longsword was out of reach, having been dropped when he was first ensnared. He looked around frantically.

  Stalking unhurriedly towards him from across the web, was a ghastly spider. It was enormo
us, two metres tall, and at least three meters in diameter. Its outline shimmered in the air, and on its menacing approach, it disappeared in and out of sight.

  Gazing fearfully at the looming spider, Kyran trembled uncontrollably. Weak at the knees, only the restraining webs, kept him upright. His straits were dire. Held fast within its web, he was helpless in the face of the predator before him. His hysteria threatened to bubble over, and he cackled manically to himself, not another giant insect! Valiantly, he struggled to overcome his terror. He fought down his panic, enough so, to act. Frantically, he probed the spider with his insight.

  Creature: Shadow Spider

  Type: Beast

  Rarity: Rare

  Level: 15

  Health: 150 / 150

  Attack: 8-10 (piercing) + 36 (poison damage over time)

  Defences (Physical/ Psi/ Spell): 20 / 11 / 15

  Special Effects:

  Truesight: Enables the caster to see in all light conditions and pierce illusions.

  Blend-in-shadows: Camouflages the caster into his surroundings.

  Poisonous attack.

  Description:

  Shadow spiders are the deadly assassins of the underworld. They lurk in deep shadow and ambush their prey from above.

  Beast Bonding Probability:

  At an effective skill level of 7.6 against a shadow spider’s psi defence of 11 you have a 33% probability of forming a beast bond with it.

  A level 15 beast, thought Kyran, both dismayed and hopeful. Its beastly nature provided a glimmer of hope. Gambling his life on this slim chance, he shook himself free of his terror and cast beast bond. His mind reached forth to the spider and feverishly sought to forge a way through its defences. And failed.

  You have failed to bond a level 15 shadow spider.

  The spider, sensing his mental assault, hurried towards him, skimming sure-footedly over the web. Panic stricken, Kyran attempted the bond again, thrusting forcefully into the spider’s mind. The spider, almost upon him, raised its forelegs in attack. With no way to dodge or retreat, Kyran ignored its approach and persisted with forging the bond. The spider struck.

  You have been hit by a shadow spider for 8 piercing damage. Remaining health: 22/30 HP.

  You have been poisoned (3 dmg/sec will be sustained for the next 12 seconds).

  Pain rippled through his body. His back arched in agony. His focus was nearly shattered, but gritting his teeth, he persevered and maintained his concentration. He continued probing the spider’s mind. There! He found an entry point. Brutally, he plunged through and in desperation, rammed the bond in place.

  You have successfully bonded a level 15 shadow spider (13,230 XP gained: 24,255/30,000 combat XP). Remaining beast bond duration: 76 minutes.

  You have obtained a total of 12,000 combat XP and are now level 4. 9 Combat skill points and 2 ability points gained.

  You have obtained a total of 20,000 combat XP and are now level 5. 9 Combat skill points and 2 ability points gained.

  The spider, on the brink of its second attack, stopped in mid-motion. Bonded, it wandered tamely off. Kyran had little chance to celebrate. Spikes of pain ripped through his body from the poison. He was still in mortal danger; the spider’s initial attack could yet prove fatal. In haste, he focused his mind inwards, and pulling essence from his spirit, cast restore health upon his quivering body.

  New ability used!

  Ability: Restore health (self)

  Skill: Supportive magic.

  Description: Restores the caster’s lost health.

  Rank: Base.

  Cost: 40 Essence.

  Execution time: 5 seconds.

  Healing: Restores health of 1 HP x skill (may be applied to self only).

  You have cast restore health (self), restoring 8 health to yourself. Remaining health: 12/30. You are still poisoned.

  In a soothing wave, essence flowed gently through his tortured body, healing damaged organs and scarred tissue as it went. The poison however, was not done yet, and continued its attack on his body. Racing the effects of the poison, he drew his essence forth again and recast restore health.

  You have cast restore health (self), restoring 8 health to yourself. Remaining health: 5/30. You are still poisoned.

  The poison had won. His health had dropped perilously low. Delirious with pain, he slumped in defeat, unable to regain his focus to cast restore health again.

  You are no longer poisoned. Remaining health: 2/30.

  As he lay on the brink of death, the poison expired. Astounded at his last-minute reprieve, Kyran collapsed in quaking relief. His eyes filled with tears of both agony and joy. For long endless seconds, he lay motionless, revelling in the simple knowledge of his continued existence.

  With his mind clouded from pain, he fumbled through repeated attempts to summon his essence, before eventually succeeding in casting restore health. The restorative effect of the spell washed through him, clearing his mind and cleansing his body. He restored his health fully and only then looked around. He was still firmly ensnared in the spider’s web. The spider stood docilely nearby, waiting upon his orders. Its shape and form resisted sight, the result of its blend-in-shadow ability. Standing still, it was nearly impossible to detect, even with his own truesight ability. It was only through his bond that he was aware of its presence. It had taught him a valuable lesson. The show hostiles spell was not infallible and there were creatures out there, like the shadow spider, that could resist the spell’s detection.

  He focused on the beast bond and felt the spider as a quiescent presence within his mind. He commanded the spider, release me. Uncomprehending, it remained unmoving. He tried another command, move forward. Instantly, it sprang forward. Stop, he ordered. It froze. Release me, he tried again. To no effect. He examined the spider’s mind as he repeated the command. At the order, a sense of confusion emanated from it.

  It appeared that such complex commands were beyond the spider’s understanding. He would have to release himself. He studied the spider’s web. It was secured to the cavern roof through several anchor points, from which it sagged gracefully down. The web itself was a fine mesh of silk strands arranged in a spiral pattern.

  Dotted around the web were numerous small cocoons. Kyran wondered how many other victims the spider had lured to death. Looking at his own cocoon, he saw that it was fastened to the web by a few thick strands, and in comparison, to the others, was incomplete. He wondered if the spider would have cocooned him alive, before feeding on him. He shivered at the thought.

  He tested his bonds again, this time without the panic of encroaching death. He noticed that even though his arms were bound fast, his hands retained some wriggle room. This gave him an idea. He cast flaming hands and carefully brought them in contact with the strands of web around his arms. The fire burnt easily through the webbing, and he quickly cut himself free of the enveloping cocoon.

  Finally free, he perched gingerly on the web. It trembled gently with his movements. Now how to get down, he wondered. From this height his truesight could not penetrate to the floor of the cavern. He had no idea how high up he was but if he had to hazard a guess, he would say, high enough for the fall to be fatal.

  He looked at the spider thoughtfully, an idea forming. He summoned it over and mentally directing it towards the floor of the cavern, commanded, shoot web. Thick, sticky strands erupted from the spider’s abdomen, and spun rapidly to the cavern floor, where they stuck fast.

  Tentatively he approached the spider, from which the web stands still hung taut. Searching its abdomen, he found the spinnerets from which the webs originated. He reactivated flaming hands; burnt the strands free from the spider, and fastened them to the web itself. He tugged at the strands, making sure they were securely fastened, before climbing carefully down his makeshift rope.

  A few minutes later Kyran reached the cavern floor. It had been a tortuous scramble down, one he was doing his best to forget. The spider’s web had been slippery and the entire way down
he had been half-panicked, fearing that at any moment he would drop to his death, this time without a eleventh hour reprieve.

  He commanded the spider down and watched with envy as it floated effortlessly down a silk thread. Observing this feat, he wondered at the tensile strength of the strands. He inspected them using his insight.

  Found: Shadow spider silk.

  Type: Crafting ingredient.

  Weight: 3 kg.

  Rank: Rare.

  Special Properties: +10% armour and increased durability to items crafted from this material.

  Condition: Excellent.

  Description: Spider silk is a valuable commodity and crafting resource. Spider silk is prized throughout the world for its high tensile strength, incredible lightness and durability. It is a favoured crafting material of drow tailors and enchanters.

  It seemed a useful item to have, and at the very least would make a handy rope if the need arose. Kyran ordered the spider to shoot out a few more web strands. These he cut off and packed away in his inventory. He found his dropped sword, and packed it away as well.

  Turning full circle, he surveyed the cavern. The cavern appeared to be a central hub within the mines. Not counting the tunnel from which he had entered, there were three other exits from it, two to the north, and one to the east. The spider’s web stretched over the entirety of the cavern. Other than the spider, the cavern was empty of all other life. They had either been eaten or chased away by the apex predator who had made this cavern its lair. He had been remarkably lucky he decided, to have survived the spider’s ambush. He inspected his beast bond with the spider.

  Tamed shadow spider. Remaining health: 150/150 HP. Remaining beast bond duration: 71 minutes.

  The bond would last only another two hours. If he lost control of spider, he had little chance of defeating it again, and unlike the rock beetle before, there was no obvious means to disable it or inflict a vital strike. So he had two choices before him. Leave the spider and get as far away as he could in the next two hours, or take the spider with him in search of a suitably strong enemy to kill it. Both options were fraught with risk. With the first option, he blocked any chance of returning to this cavern, which was a central hub. So, not a great option.