by Tony Corden
Amy tied a rope around her waist and upper thighs in what looked like a climbing harness and looped it over the rope bridge. She connected the harness to the two ends of a rope which they had threaded through a piton, carefully driven into a small gap in the rocks. Leah and Wisp slowly let out this rope as Amy crossed over the chasm, this was not only as a safety precaution, but they wanted to be able to retrieve both ropes and not leave a way for the Goblins to cross the Chasm. When Amy arrived on the far side, she secured the second rope by tying it to a piton which she’d hammered into a crack in the rock and secured the other end around a large rocky outcrop. Soon the whole group had crossed and retrieved both ropes. They had left a piton on the other side, but that was it.
By now the sun had risen, and they had a clear view into the second crater. Inside they could see five large pits that were being dug in the crater. Each of these was over fifteen metres in diameter, but from the crater ridge, they couldn’t see how deep they went. The soil and rock that had been excavated was piled beside each hole. They could see where previous holes had been filled in.
Slowly they slipped over the edge, and with much care, they reached the floor of the crater without being seen. As they stepped onto the floor a message appeared:
Level 4 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (3, Diamond)
Atherleah (Level 114), you have discovered a hidden Level 4 Area:
Goblin Mirror Mine of Ejder
You are the first player to access this area. This is your third, 'First 1 (Diamond)’ achievement.
Reward 1: 5000 x 114 = 883500 (+55%) Experience Points (220000/220000)…(66344/240000)
Reward 2: + 3% to all future Experience
Reward 3: 3 x 10 Platinum = 30 Platinum
Reward 4: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5 whenever you are in this Mine. During your first time in the Mine, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.
Fame: 1000 Fame Points (37600)
A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.
Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. Do you wish to retain your privacy?
[Y] [N]
“Yes.”
This was followed by.
To succeed in this challenge, you must successfully mine:
5 Pieces of Adamantine
One (1) each of the following gems: Jadeite, Orichalconite, Painite, Mythralite, Red Beryl
Adamantine is a metal found exclusively from the remains of meteors that have come to Dunyanin. It is understood that this metal is formed in the depths of a star and ejected at times of great solar activity. High on this mountain, one such meteor crashed millennia ago. On entry into the atmosphere, the meteor broke into several pieces and further broke on impact. Two of the larger pieces landed on Mount Dusen while the third penetrated deep into Mount Ucan. When each piece of the Meteor hit Mount Ducan it shattered into hundreds or thousands of pieces which have been buried in the crater. A local snake called the Black Mamba was attracted to the heat of the fallen pieces, and over time these snakes have absorbed some of the energy stored within each piece of Adamantine. At the same time, the snakes have grown to an unusual size. The energy also causes gems to be deposited in the heart of the great snakes.
The Ghost Goblins of Ejder wait for a snake to strike and then dig in that location to find the Adamantine. Each snake has been found to rest on the piece of Adamantine which caused the change in their physiology. Often the goblins lose many workers for they have difficulty killing the snakes which are often curled around the piece of Adamantine. Instead, the Goblins try and drive the snake away to find another piece.
The longer a snake has lived near a piece of Adamantine the more gems are deposited in the heart.
A Level 120 Adamantine Mamba has a Jadeite gem deposited in the heart.
A Level 140 Adamantine Mamba also has a Orichalconite gem.
A Level 160 Adamantine Mamba also has a Painite gem.
A Level 180 Adamantine Mamba also has a Mythralite gem.
A Level 200 Adamantine Mamba also has a Red Beryl gem.
After they had finished reading Amy said, “Five snakes. We have to kill a Level 200 bloody snake.”
Leah took out the hearts they had collected, and cutting them open; they found one gem in the Level 130 heart a Jadeite gem. In the Level 152 heart, there was one Jadeite gem and one Orichalconite gem.
It was clear, from what the people in Ejder had said, that the goblins here were either very good fighters or very sneaky. Leah sent Amy and Wisp out to survey the two closest digs. After almost twenty minutes Amy returned and said that the pit was almost fifteen metres deep and she could see the tip of the snakes tail and it was a Level 133. Wisp returned and said that the pit she had looked at was almost forty metres deep and that the snake was Level 172. She said that the goblins took turns in blasting the rock and the digging it out and that she had seen the snake strike out and bite a goblin before dragging it back into its hole.
Leah then sent them out again to reconnoitre the other three pits. After looking in each pit, they discovered the five snakes were Level 133, Level 145, Level 171, Level 186 and a huge Level 214 Mamba. They wanted to do this in order, so they slowly made their way to the edge of the pit with the Level 110 Adamantine Mamba in it. Peering into the pit, they saw over twenty goblins working to clear the rock from around the snake. Leah checked the time, and it was almost eight. She beckoned everyone and said they were heading back to the edge of the crater.
“Look, I re-checked the Odyssey, and we aren't required to kill the goblins. These guys are just hard-working miners. I believe they'll try and kill us if they see us but I imagine they camp a distance away from the pit at night for fear of the snakes. I suggest we log out and come back in twelve hours. It'll be dark by then, and the pits will be empty of goblins. I imagine from our experience last night that night is when the snakes move from their holes to hunt. Now, I'm not sure what they hunt, but I would rather face a snake above ground than in a pit. Once the snakes are dead we grab the Adamantine or mine the rock it is in.”
Everyone was in favour of the suggestion, and they logged out for a four-hour break.
Leah had lunch then an hour of deep-sleep before attending all four classes at the Community College. She was rushing, but she wanted to get ahead in case she was away all day on Monday. After a snack, she logged back into Dunyanin.
Leah had been right; the goblins had moved to the edge of the crater for the night. They could be seen walking around their campfires. The friends headed to the pit with the Level 133 Mamba. Leah used her echo as they got closer but couldn't sense the snake. Amy, Thad and Zack all had spears and were testing the ground in front of them. It was Thad who disturbed the snake this time, but Leah and Wisp were ready, and both hit the snake as it reared. After killing the snake and harvesting it with a luck potion, they moved into the pit. Without the snake there, they were able to slither through its tunnel to a cavern under the rock. Here they found a piece of the meteor. Only Leah had achieved the rank of Grandmaster in mining, so she was the one to hammer away at the rock. While she worked, the others searched the tunnel for any hidden caches and did find a chest with some copper coins. Finally, Leah freed the piece of Adamantine, it was several cubic meters in size. The meteor also dropped what they identified as a star crystal; it was used by enchanters and mages to store mana.
The whole exercise had taken just over an hour. The next two snakes went just as smoothly, and even though they got little in the way of experience, they were glad not to have to kill the goblins, even if they were stealing the Goblins' Adamantine. The fourth snake was not lying outside the pit nor in it. Leah snuck down into the pit and began mining the meteor until she received a frantic call that the snake could be seen returning. She just made it out in time to see James struck by the snakes tail as it writhed to get away from Wisp’s freeze arrow. Leah threw a healing spell at him and then saw the Mamba preparing to strike at
Thad. She raced toward it but it was too quick, it caught him in the chest. She froze its head before it could detach its fangs from Thad, who had died instantly, and then with tears in her eyes she plunged a knife through its eye and into the brain.
Thad’s body burst into flame as the Phoenix potion took effect. When he had fully re-materialised, Leah threw herself at him and gave him a huge hug and held him tight, still crying. Slowly she regained control and then looking up at him said, “I know it's a game, but don't ever scare me like that again.” As she walked off to finish mining the Adamantine, Thad stood there with a huge grin on his face.
By the time she had recovered the Adamantine, she had also regained her equanimity. They moved to the pit which held the massive Level 214 Mamba. The snake was waiting at the top of the pit and seemed to be expecting them. It was at least fifty metres long, and the distance between its eyes was over a meter. When it raised its head to look down at them, it was from a height of ten metres. As it prepared to strike it opened its mouth, and Annie’s arrow exploded against the lower jaw, but the snake merely shook its head. If it had slowed down, it wasn’t by much. Leah’s arrow had penetrated the palate which only served to make the snake mad. It was swaying as if deciding to attack Leah or Wisp, Leah made up its mind for it by suddenly casting Chain Lightning. It shrugged the spell aside but struck fast toward Leah. She was ready and stepped aside grabbing the jaw as it went over her head and holding tight, she cast Freeze using dual wield just as she had when she had cast the lightning. All her MP and KP were used in the single spell; it froze the snake for a distance of six metres. She dropped to the ground completely drained.
After she had recovered her strength, she took a Luck potion and harvested the snake and then made her way into the burrow to find the piece of meteor. This piece was twice as large as the others but what shocked her were the six snake eggs that lay in a nest beside the meteor.
ADAMANTINE MAMBA EGG
They had no level and no EP; she shared what she had found and while she mined the meteor the rest either searched for a chest of loot or researched what to do with the eggs. The forums said that certain large reptiles if trained from an egg, made excellent mounts. People who wanted such mounts paid as much as 2-3 Diamonds for an egg. Leah quickly placed all six in a mining bag along with the Adamantine and the star crystal. Altogether they had recovered five pieces of Adamantine and coins in every denomination stamped with the image of a Mamba. As a door appeared before them so did the message:
Level 4 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (4, Diamond)
Atherleah (Level 117), you have completed a hidden Level 4 Area:
Goblin Mirror Mine of Ejder
You are the first player to complete this area. This is your fourth, 'First 1 (Diamond)’ achievement.
Reward 1: 5000 x 118 = 932200 (+58%) Experience Points (240000/240000)…(66955/260000)
Reward 2: + 3% to all future Experience
Reward 3: 4 x 10 Platinum = 40 Platinum
Fame: 1000 Fame Points (38600)
A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.
Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. Do you wish to retain your privacy?
[Y] [N]
“Yes.”
After checking everyone was ready Leah placed her hand on the portal and they were all transported back to the eight-sided room. Everyone was ready to have a break before continuing, and they agreed for a short two-hour recess before hopefully finishing the Odyssey.
After a long shower and an early dinner, Leah spent an hour with the Master of Blades, an hour with Lady Fletch, and an hour meditating in the Tower garden. At ten in the morning, Dunyanin-time, she arrived for what she hoped was the last time in the Octagonal Room. She enjoyed the challenges, but the pace was wearing her down. As soon as everyone arrived, they turned to the final door which was black with scarlet runes, instead of one hand-print, this time there was six. Everyone blinked and looked at each other inquisitively before they each received a message.
Atherleah, you and your companions are have almost completed the journey through the Goblin Mines and Dungeons.
Just as the mine at Ejder is different, so is the Dungeon. This dungeon must be completed as an individual. Only those who survive will achieve the recognition (Completion of the Journey ‘Goblin Mines and Dungeons’).
A reminder, each player has one life. When a person dies, they will be returned to their position before entering the Odyssey. Anyone who finishes the Odyssey will be relocated to the town of Ejder.
Each player will be transported to the start of an individualised instance that accommodates their particular character development and starting level. Experience gained will be as individuals not as a group*. This dungeon is a Story Dungeon, and depending on the choices you make, there are over twenty-five possible paths and endings.
This dungeon is timed: You have eight hours from the time of entry.
*Note: Your communication rings will be disabled in this instance.
Welcome to the Death Cave of Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi.
When you are ready to start, place your hand on the correct place on door 8.
Leah stepped back from the door and sat down. The others soon joined her.
“This is a bit of a shock, but I’m sure we all love a bit of a challenge. I suggest we check our inventories and make sure we all have a fair share of potions, weapons, etc.”
It took them almost twenty minutes to redistribute everything and then they moved to the door and looked carefully at the handprints. Each had one of the player’s names etched in the centre. They looked around the room and made sure they had removed everything, Leah had already unloaded the loot into a large room which Gèng was arranging ready for everyone to apportion it out when they visited after this level was finished.
Leah stepped forward and placed her hand on the print with her name. As she vanished, the others did the same. Leah appeared at the summit of Mount Ucan. She turned around and saw Mount Dusen in the distance and the small town of Ejder far below in the mountain pass. From her starting point, the only way down was a narrow ledge which headed west and then what looked like a sharp descent to the main body of the mountain. Behind her was a sheer drop of 800 metres to the valley below. Looking west, Leah could see an immense scar on the side the mountain where she imagined a part of the meteor must have landed, breaking off rocks and digging a furrow before slamming into a large rocky outcrop further down the mountain. She had Merdiven in one hand and her mining pick in the other, and as she walked, she continually checked for anything that might be mineable.
It was almost forty-five minutes later when she reached the place where the earth had been gouged out. She began to doubt that it was a meteor. She looked back toward the summit and it was clear that the angle was too shallow; if it were a meteor, it would have either slammed into the peak of Dusen, or it would have impacted here causing a massive crater. Over time, various plants and grasses had covered the surface of the gouge, but Leah could still see broken rocks and piles of debris that had been thrown to either side as, whatever it was, had crashed into the mountaintop.
Leah was preparing to head into the furrow when she heard a mighty roar followed by several high pitched squeals and screams. Without thought, she ran in the direction the sounds came from. Moments later, she entered a glade where a monstrous four-legged beast was ripping into the broken bodies of several goblins. It had the body of a great black panther, its rear end was covered with scales and ended in a tail resembling a smaller version of the Adamantine mamba. It had three heads, the centre was that of a panther, and it was feasting on the remains. On one side was a head that resembled a dragon, serpentine with two horns and a mouthful of sharp dagger teeth. The final head was from a huge wolf. While the central head feasted, the others were glaring at six goblin younglings, frozen in terror a few metres away with their backs against a rock.
GROUND CHIMERA (Level 125) 15625 HP 6250EP
There was nothing she could do for the dead goblins, but leaving children to the mercy of the beast was something she couldn’t do. The Chimera was not aware of her presence, so she equipped her bow and was preparing to fire when a snake’s head at the end of the tail whipped in her direction and hissed loudly. She made a hurried shot that travelled deep into the neck of the wolf’s head. All three heads swivelled to focus on her, the Chimera’s body turned in preparation to attack. Leah fired again and cast Rain of Fire. This stopped the Chimera which writhed as the falling flames fell upon it. Leah ignored the flames and moved in close, bringing the Morningstar down on the wolf's head. She received a few burns, but a quick Heal dealt with most of those. She stepped back and cast Disc of Death impaling the creature for a moment before it surged forward off the spikes, breaking the tangles. The wolf’s head was slumped over, dead, and the Chimera's health was just under 50%. Leah fired two arrows before diving forward and under the leaping Chimera. She rolled to her feet but had forgotten the snake which hissed and struck at her arm.
Her health began to drop as a poison debuff took hold. She equipped her sword and decapitated the tail. As the Chimera turned to attack, she drove the sword deep into its chest. It stumbled, but she was in bad shape, and her health was dropping rapidly. She staggered backwards reaching to swallow an HP restore potion, this gave the Chimera time to get its footing. They stood about three metres apart, Leah’s health was still falling, but the rate of decrease had slowed. The Chimera pounced. Leah cast Chain Lightning and dropped as the twitching animal flew over her head. Turning she used her sword to kill the Chimera. Leah had only 50HP left, but the poison debuff had ended. Slumping to the ground, her back against the dead creature, she stared at the six goblin younglings, who were staring at her.