Six of those unfortunate bandits now marched alongside our horses, slave collars on their necks. We reminded them that, of their band of twelve, they were the ‘lucky ones’. Two others now flanked Hrozne, a Death Knight on one side, and a Skeleton Mage on the other. As for the other four? Well, Hrozne didn’t have all the material components needed for the higher level undead shi wanted, but a level 50 Pale Master (Necromancer) had the Sacrificial Substitution ability, allowing you to sacrifice additional creatures to substitute for the material components needed to create undead. It wasn’t exactly an efficient method of raising undead, as both the Death Knight and the Skeleton Mage took two sacrifices (in addition to the body to be raised) in substitution. Lesser undead, such as basic zombies or skeletons, would only require a single sacrifice. The more powerful the undead, the more sacrifices needed.
Suffice to say, we caused something of a stir as we passed through town towards the slave market. For once, my harem wasn’t the biggest surprise, but our drow necromancer, riding on a skeletal warhorse, with two undead at hir side. Still, despite the fact that anyone with the ability to detect magic. Emmete rode behind Severa, not exactly pleased to be shown off as a slave’s slave, but unable to complain about it.
When I entered the slave market, I was greeted warmly by Zechariah, the same man who had sold me Yukiko months ago. “Ah, my friend! I have heard great things about you! Helping princesses return to their homeland, saving the lands from undead, drow, and dragons! And all while showing off the fruits of our profession. Your fellow travelers have been eagerly looking for new slaves all across the lands, from what I’ve been told. But don’t expect a discount because of that!”
We both laughed, remembering the first conversation we had, and I said, “Well, it would hardly do to go asking such things, one trainer to another. But I thought I would do you the favor of helping to replenish your stock. Bandits seem to be a perpetual nuisance along the Vermilion Road. These six are the survivors of the latest group to try their hand at it.”
After a bit of haggling, I had sold off the six slaves, and gained 200 GP. After that was done, Zechariah smiled at me, and said, “Well, I would hate for you to come and only take my gold after all we’ve done. Perhaps you’d be interested in adding another to your troupe? There are still quite a few lovelies left, despite the Travelers picking through them. Actually, some of the more enterprising Travelers have been taking your lead, and capturing their enemies rather than just killing them, and with the markets in Duskhaven not yet recovered, we have more exotics than we normally might.”
I laughed, and nodded. “Well, I couldn’t possibly be so rude as to not at least look at your stock after such a speech! Come, show me these exotics, and perhaps I’ll be parting with some of your gold after all!” The last time I was here, I found a Traveler, so who knows what I’d find now?
Out came six creatures, all bearing slave collars. There were only six, but they were certainly exotics to my eye. After I asked, Zechariah began explaining how they came into his market.
Gadriel Lightsworn
Archon Female
Level 100 Blessed Healer (Priestess) / Divine Songstress (Bard)
Titles: Godtouched, Pure Soul, Undead Bane, Demon Bane, Slave
Sualuhn Bloodrazor
Pit Fiend Male
Level 100 Battle Rager (Barbarian) / Hellfire Sorcerer (Flame Sorcerer)
Titles: Ladykiller, Human Bane, Elf Bane, Orc Bane, Sadist, Sexecutioner, Flamesoul, Slave
“The Angel and the Demon over there were in the middle of some kind of blood feud, or whatever, attempting to take over some piddling little town while the country was distracted by Duskhaven’s troubles. They both put out competing requests to the Adventurer’s Guild, asking for their foe to be killed or captured. One group decided to take both requests, and went separately to both the Angel and Demon, convincing them to give them a slave collar that would work on the other. Both of them thought they were so clever, giving the mortals an item that would work on their enemy but not themselves. The clever Travelers betrayed them both, but did so in a way that allowed them to complete both quests.”
I nodded. Most impressive. I liked that kind of thinking. When I asked, I was told that the group, which went by the name Jade Ravens, had left the country, intending to go to the human kingdom of Caledon. I’d have to look them up if I was ever in the neighborhood. At the very least, it wouldn’t be dull.
Deghu
Gold Dragon Male
Level 20 Dragon / Wizard
Titles: Slave
Zechariah sighed as we came to the next one. “This is a sad story. Some real bastards raided a dragon’s nest while supposedly looking for a way to help Duskhaven. Slapped a collar on this kid and drug him off before his mother came back. Used magic to hide their scent, it seems. Only reason I accepted the kid was to keep him from going to one of the worse places, and I don’t bring him out, except to people I know will treat him right.”
“And it wouldn’t do for a slave trader to get a reputation of freeing slaves, right?”
“Right. And the authorities would have my head if I released a live dragon in the Kingdom after Duskhaven. Of course, I cheated the bastards good, since I only paid a gold for him. Not wanting angry dragons on my doorstep was a quite effective excuse.”
Kamla Nightchylde
Human Daywalker Vampire Female
Level 50 Spellsword (Fighter) / Ranger
Titles: Quick-foot, Human Bane, Ladykiller, Manslayer, Hordebreaker, Slave
“This one didn’t learn to read her contracts before signing them. She’s a Traveler, and was commissioned to do something or other for one of the local guilds, but the events at Duskhaven made it so she couldn’t complete the job in time, and failed the quest. Since she couldn’t pay the default fee, the guards collared her, and sent her to me.”
Meilietae
Nymph Female
Level 80 Nature’s Soul (Druid) / Fey Singer (Bard)
Titles: Broken One, Manslayer, Corrupted One, Human Bane, Slave
“This beauty is a twisted piece of work, let me tell you. Got a taste for human flesh, she does. No telling how many she’s lured to their doom. Apparently, a human raped her in the past, and she’s taken to hunting men because of it. We only know about it because she caught a few Travelers, who reported the incident. The local lord posted a bounty on her, and is selling her through my shop to recoup the cost, with a discount if she will be taken out of the kingdom.”
Gryzer Proudstaff
Centaur Male
Level 20 Barbarian / Dominator
Titles: Sadist, Sexecutioner, Slave, Gelded One
Gelded One
Typically performed on dogs, horses, or other animals to prevent them from breeding, gelding is a common practice to use on animals. In this case, it has been used on a person, with magic applied to the wound. Even should this Traveler be forced to respawn, this will continue, until magic is applied to restore his virility.
-10 CHA
-100% to Seduction against females
-100% to resist Seduction from males and hermaphrodites
-25% to resist Intimidation or to Intimidate others
Is incapable of achieving erection for as long as this title persists.
“Another Traveler. Bastard raped a noblewoman in full daylight, after killing two of her guards. Damn near killed the poor woman, too, before another Traveler put a stop to it. The magistrate decided that since Travelers can’t be killed permanently, that we know of, he’d be made a slave. He’s been gelded, so the raping part shouldn’t be an issue again, unless someone uses magic to fix him, but it hasn’t improved his mood any. He’s sworn vengeance against, well, pretty much everyone. And we don’t know if he’ll come back from being killed with his ‘parts’ intact.”
I shook my head. “Bastard deserves it, for being a fucking idiot, if nothing else. But you can let people know that the condition will remain until such time as someone uses magic t
o heal him. If you know someone who is fond of eunuchs, you should let them know, as he’ll be more… pliable for them now.”
Zechariah and I laughed, which caused the centaur to glare at me, but he said nothing. Probably because he was ordered to be silent. However, I got a few wonderful PMs from him about how he was going to mess me and my girls up, once his buddies got the gold together to free him. Yeah, right. I chuckled, and then Zecharaiah and I got down to business.
In the end, I gave back Zechariah’s gold, and more besides. But I spent four thousand of my own gold on the angel, demon, and the dragon, and the two hundred Zechariah had given me to arrange a spectacle for the noble family that had been harmed by the centaur: a live viewing of letting the Nymph devour the centaur. But I wouldn’t be taking either one of them with me. Too much trouble there.
Hrozne, however, surprised me by dropping a thousand gold of his own to buy the vampire. A few seconds later, I received a notification that the Aria of the Twilight had a new member.
As we left to head for the Adventurer’s Guild, Zechariah thanked us once again, and made us promise to come back if we passed this way again. Fathon may have been getting more traffic because of Duskhaven being in chaos, but five thousand gold would be enough to make any man one of the wealthiest in town.
As I stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild, I heard a yell, and turned to see a foot-long shard of ice flying rapidly towards my face!
Chapter 63 – I Deserved That
So I hadn’t been expecting an attack just as I walked in the door. Foolish, I know, but fortunately, the ice spear did nothing except shatter on my face. Well, it took out my Nether Shield, which at this point could prevent a full 1000 points of damage before breaking, so I wouldn’t say it wasn’t a good effort on the caster’s part.
I quickly reapplied my Nether Shield, and looked at the foolish, foolish caster, who was now in a good bit of trouble as Yukiko and Severa both had their blades poised to cut the Rabbitkin into bite-sized pieces. I smiled at her, and said, “Hello, Instructor Whitetail. I take it this warm welcome has something to do with the fact that you appear to have been blessed by the goddess Sharess?” Indeed, it was the same ice mage who had tested me in this building months before, but this time, instead of her lithe form, I had to keep myself from laughing as she waddled along, obviously well along in her pregnancy. It had been just under six months, in game, since I finished the tutorial and got tested. From what I remembered about rabbitkin, they typically had eight-month pregnancies, so she was fairly far along now.
Canea Whitetail
High Rabbitkin Female
Level 60 Winterlord (Ice Mage) / Blessed Oracle (Priestess)
Titles: Genius, Manslayer, Incubus Bane, Fatebound
Oh, two titles that gave her bonuses against men in general, and Incubi in particular. No wonder she broke my shield with a single spell. Still, I had power leveled, and gotten my skills and spells up to a point that I could see more information about her than I could before. I didn’t need to use Observe to see that she was pissed as hell at me, though.
“You’re gods damned right it is! Look what you did to me! I feel like a goddamn cow!”
I couldn’t help a smile from cracking my face. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful mother. And really, didn’t we agree that it was your own fault for taking an incubus alone into a room, and, when he told you he specialized in charm magics, told him to take his best shot?” I took a moment to visibly pan my eyes over her body. “Looks like my best was pretty good, hmm?”
By that time, the guild staff came to take the enraged rabbitkin away someplace she could cool her head. Once the girls put their weapons away, I waved off the man from the guild apologizing to me. “No worries. I didn’t get a scratch on me, and you know how emotional ladies can be when they’re expecting.” Still, I did allow them to waive the fee for reevaluating my Adventurer’s Guild status.
Name
Zayn Darkmore
Rank
C
Race
Hellspawned Drake (Incubus)
Status
Knight – Wyrmwood
Lord - Lithaes
Consort – Black Rock
Consort - Mirelth
Level
50
Class
Hexblade (Warlock)
Profession
Slave Trainer
Subclass
Dominator
Titles
The Executioner, The Sexecutioner, Corrupter, Master Chainmaker, Machiavelli, Dragonfriend, Dragon Consort, Slave Trader, Trophy Hunter, Harem King, Stud Horse, Undead Bane, Leash Lord, Dragon Summoner
I’d come a long way since I last showed my face in a chapter of the Adventurer’s Guild, and honestly, the rank up from E to C was based almost completely on my massive accomplishments. Most people had to do a lot of quests of the ‘hunt this’, ‘fetch that’, and ‘guard this guy’ nature. Your typical MMO fare, really. But rescuing elf princesses, stopping undead invasions, and freeing a city from a dragon’s control kindof make a mark. The only reason it was still at C, and not higher, was because there were level requirements for the higher ranks. Regardless of your skill, a level 50 shouldn’t be going on the S rank quests, where creatures with levels in the high triple digits could be considered fairly common.
While I was there, I picked up a couple quests for the trip to the border. If I’m already headed that way, might as well make some extra coin while I’m at it, right?
New Quest Alert!
Hunt Slavers on Blacklake Road
A band of slavers has been operating on the Blacklake Road between Fathon and the border town of Blacklake, on the edge of the Horde Tribeslands. They have been operating independently of the Slavers’ Guild, and are not under its protection. The Slavers’ Guild wishes to make an example of these renegades.
Rank
C
Success
Kill or Capture the band of slavers (20/20 remaining).
Optional: Defeat the band’s leader, Black Eyed Shyrl.
Failure
The band of slavers escapes the kingdom.
Rewards
10 GP per slaver killed.
30 GP per slaver captured and turned in to a Slavers’ Guild representative.
Increased standing with the Slavers’ Guild.
Optional: Profession Upgrade Quest
Failure
Decreased standing with the Slavers’ Guild.
New Quest Alert!
Undead on the Highway
The members of Moradin’s Hammer were to exterminate the undead in the hills near the Blacklake Road. They have not been heard from in some time. Find them, and either rescue them or discover their fate. Destroy the undead in the hills.
Rank
B
Success
Discover what happened to the members of Moradin’s Hammer.
Destroy the undead in the Lost Vault.
Failure
Arrive in Blacklake before completing the quest.
Rewards
Gold
Increased standing with Adventurer’s Guild.
Increased standing with Brudrinen Empire.
Consequences
Decreased standing with Adventurer’s Guild.
Decreased standing with Brudrinen Empire.
After finishing my business at the guild, I went to the marketplace, so I could replenish my supplies in preparation for a long journey. I decided that instead of getting more horses for the new slaves, I’d get a sturdy wagon and a pair of animals to draw it. That was easy enough to get, and I had enough coin to make sure that the wagon was a really good one. Of course, the reason I got the wagon was because there were both slavers and a dungeon on the road ahead of me, which meant loot.
Naturally, I didn’t only buy mundane items. As I was browsing, I noticed a couple lovely magical items that I simply had to have.
Balance’s Last Word
Type
<
br /> Dagger
Rank
Rare
Damage
50 – 75
Damage Type
Piercing/Slashing
This wave-bladed kris knife has been forged from a rare (and possibly insane) combination of demonsteel and angelsteel. It is a weapon designed to attack both good and evil creatures equally, without prejudice. The blade is solid to the touch, but becomes spectral when drawn, allowing it to pass through armor and strike the flesh beneath.
+30 WIS
Ignores Armor
Does no damage to Constructs, Oozes, or Undead
Increased Criticals – x4 Damage on Critical Hits
Imbued: Fusion Blade – Counts as both Holy and Unholy weapon.
Enchanted: Sacrificial Blade – When used to kill a sentient creature, gain a bonus to that creature’s largest stat for 24 hours. If the sacrifice happens during a ritual lasting at an hour in length, the gain is permanent. In this case, the victim must be willing or restrained (physically or magically) for the duration of the ritual.
Rules-Free VRMMO Life: Volume VI: Taking the Show on the Road Page 2