by L. R. Wolf
“Specializing in ice now?” Elohwa nodded her head in appreciation. While nowhere near as powerful as the fire spells that had illuminated half the Dead Fields, which had, in turn, attracted the undead to them like moths to a flame, the ice had proven just as effective.
“God I love being able to make up spells on the fly, this is AWESOME!!” Aya had witnessed the power of spell creation the night before, but they had been so busy with the constant undead she hadn’t gotten the opportunity to really enjoy what she was doing. With a thought, Aya dismissed the Ice Shield surrounding herself but kept it going on Elohwa since she would be out pulling and then on Thorn since he was setting up viney traps for their targets. She didn’t want to waste any mana if she didn’t have to since it was bound to be as long of a night as the previous one.
Elohwa chuckled and then had a thought of her own. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a vial holding it up to examine it in the ambient light.
Vial of Lethal Poison-Coating a weapon with this will cause a target to take damage over time. Damage ramps up the longer it remains active. Base damage 20 per tick. Damage begins ramping up every 2 ticks doubling the damage of the previous tick. (20, 20, 40, 40, 80, 80. etc) Poison lasts 20 seconds unless renewed by an attack. Effect lasts 2 hours.
Elohwa handed the vial to Thorn. “Can you coat your thorns with this?”
Thorn took the vial gingerly and stared at it for a second before the vines on his face started to move around forming an opening. He dumped the contents of the vial into his newly formed mouth. As the women watched, the vines that made up his body glow softly with a green light. The thorns on his body appeared to be dripping with a green liquid.
“Nice.” Aya began thinking about new ways they could modify their little friend to be more lethal.
“Going back out to pull.” Elohwa rushed back through the wall while Thorn repositioned himself near the hole so the vines wouldn’t have to travel as far.
Group message-Elohwa “INCOMING! I counted at least three but I believe there might be a caster among them.”
As Aya read the message, there was a loud crack from the other side of the wall where a caster had lobbed a bolt at Elohwa just narrowly missing her. Elohwa dived through the hole and rolled to the side out of the caster’s line of sight. Again, the first two through were caught by the trip vines, but this time the third one was far enough back that he was able to avoid the trip wire by jumping over it. He landed just shy of where his companions lay crumpled on the ground. He whirled around baring his teeth in a snarl, but he didn’t charge. Instead he stayed back as the caster stepped over the vines and turned his gaze towards the women. This was the first caster Aya would go up against.
Before either side had a chance to do anything, Thorn lashed the trip vines around the two gnolls like a whip entangling their feet, the thorns burying themselves as deep as they could go. Dot and debuff icons appeared under the names above their heads. Bleed, Frostbite and poison together causing a massive drop to their hit points as a combo was triggered between the three dots. Before the gnolls could recover from their shock, Elohwa charged towards them, her twin blades appearing in her hands. She crossed them in front of her forming an X before she quickly brought them down towards her sides, the blades cutting across the faces and shoulders of the gnolls. They howled in pain as a second bleed effect took hold from Elohwa’s attack and frost started to spread its way away from the wound as the frost spell of her blades was triggered. The Gnoll Shaman recovered just enough to be able to cast another lightning spell directly at Aya. Aya was caught completely by surprise as the bolt slammed into her, pain surged through her body, her muscles locking up and spasming as the electricity coursed through her.
Thorn, seeing his master in danger, yanked the vines that were wrapped around the legs of the two remaining gnolls pulling their feet out from under them. Elohwa rammed her twin blades down into each gnoll in a coup de gras, stone markers appearing as the bodies faded into the ground. Elohwa rushed to Aya’s side, tendrils of electricity were still racing across her body and arced towards Elohwa when she got too close. All they could do was wait for the timer on the stun to tick down slowly. As it finally faded, Aya collapsed. Elohwa, who was standing as close as she could without herself getting stunned caught her as she fell.
“Ok...that...seriously...hurt.” Aya managed to force out between clenched teeth.
“Just take a deep breath, the after effects should pass quickly.” Elohwa helped Aya to her feet and then kept her steady as her muscles continued to twitch. After a few more seconds, the effects passed and Aya was able to stand on her own.
“Ugh, how many casters are camped out in there?!” While Aya loved being a caster, she definitely did not like to go up against them.
A voice from behind them caught the women off guard, they whirled around to see a dim light bobbing towards them. “At least fifty casters within the castle. Most are shamans, but they have a few wizards and even some warlocks. The majority of gnolls within the keep are warriors with a few archers, but the weapons they wield are mostly crude with a few exceptions on some of the inner guards.”
“Va'lore!” Elohwa would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Ah, so you have not forgotten me then.” Va'lore had been a bit perturbed at the fact that both women had ended up disappearing on him back in the heart cave deep within the Sky Temple.
“We did not intend to leave you on purpose you know. The Goddess herself summoned us before her.” Elohwa gave him a look that only a sibling would understand.
Va'lore nodded and then grinned, “I heard the Goddess speak to us and saw that Aya had claimed the city. The Barbarians you hired are doing an incredible job in clearing the city, and quite quickly too might I add.”
“Where have you been since the cave? I sent Srev to look for you shortly after we returned.” Elohwa and Aya had spoken with Srev and had sent him and some of his scouts in search of their wayward companion once they had been returned to the city and realized he was nowhere to be found.
“Shortly after you two disappeared, I suddenly found myself back outside. I figured you two would eventually want to retake this section of the city so I took it upon myself to scout around gathering intel.” Va'lore looked incredibly proud of himself. As a member of the royal family, he knew every square inch and secret of the inner keep, and as a spirit he could go wherever he wanted to without fear of being harmed by the new inhabitants of the area.
“Do they respawn? If so, how the hell are we supposed to be able to retake the keep?” Aya knew there had to be something to claiming the keep back that didn’t involve clearing out every single gnoll and their respawn over and over again.
“They will after a time, but as luck would have it,” Va'lore paused a moment for a more dramatic effect. “The Gnoll Chief claimed the throne. I believe if we can kill the Chief and reclaim the throne it should then allow us to summon the Keep’s Guardians in order to clear the rest of the keep of these vermin.”
“But we do not know if it will work for sure then?” Elohwa raised an eyebrow. It sounded like a relatively easy thing, but there was an enormous number of enemies in the way, if claiming the throne caused them to flee, that would go a long way towards cleansing the area, but if they had to clear them all out one by one then it would take much longer.
Va'lore huffed a bit with indignation at his judgement being questioned. “Well, no, I do not know for sure, but considering that the keep reverted to the gnolls once he took the throne one would assume that would be how we take it back.”
Aya and Elohwa exchanged looks. It’s not that they didn’t trust Va'lore or the wealth of information he could provide, but they were hesitant to make a direct push to the throne room when it was quite possible that it wouldn’t cause the rest of the gnolls to flee.
Aya sighed, “It actually makes a lot of sense I suppose if you really think about it. I wonder if we can invite him into the party so we can get up to date in
formation on the gnolls and their whereabouts? Maybe we can sneak in and just confront the Chief, pull the throne room out from under them before they know what hit them?” Aya hadn’t sent out a party invite before because she was always now automatically grouped up with Elohwa being that she was Aya’s companion and when Voksil had been with them it had been Elohwa who had invited him. With a thought, she tried to invite Va'lore, his eyebrows rising in surprise a second before his name appeared in their interfaces.
“I’m surprised that actually worked.” Aya blinked away her own surprise. It wasn’t often that NPC’s could join your party, usually when they did it was because they were a mercenary or the like or they were part of some quest. As soon as the thought popped into her head, a new message appeared in her vision.
Congratulations Dreamer! You have been offered the Unique Quest-Taking back the Throne. The Gnoll King has been sitting on the throne within the inner keep of Eventide Falls for far too long. Put an end to his reign and reclaim the throne for the Shadow Elves! Reward: 15,000 SXP token. Ability to reconstruct the keep. Having a keep within a city allows one to expand out around the city turning the city into the beginnings of a kingdom.
The three exchanged glances as they were all offered the quest. Aya had already claimed the city but she hadn’t realized that the areas immediately surrounding the city on the other side of the river weren’t part of it. Being able to push out beyond the river would give them even more access to resources and land for farms, homes and other buildings.
“Ok, so it would appear that Va'lore was right. We retake the throne, we retake the keep.” Elohwa bowed her head towards Va'lore in both a gesture of respect and as a way to apologize for doubting him.
Va'lore nodded back at her before he turned and gestured for the women to follow him. “From here on out I highly recommend speaking in chat only as we will be attempting to sneak by as many gnolls as we can.”
The women fell into step behind him, Aya just behind Va'lore. Elohwa and Thorn followed up at the rear to protect her in case something tried to sneak up behind them. Va'lore led them along the wall for a few minutes. The wall extended all the way to the side of the mountain and appeared to even be built directly into the side of the mountain.
Party chat- Va'lore “Press the stone here to open the passage.”
Va'lore pointed towards a plain stone down near the ground. Aya peered at it out of the corner of her eye to see the shimmer before she knelt on the grass and pushed her hand against the cold stone. With barely a sound, the wall moved inwards like a door. Va'lore led the two women inside. A quick look around showed they were next to the keep in a very narrow section that separated the keep from the mountain. The mountain actually created a natural roof here that extended in such a way that one would never even know this path existed. They followed the path back, the soft glow surrounding Va'lore the only light. After another ten minutes, they eventually came to the very back of the keep.
Party chat- Va'lore ”This stone here.”
He pointed once more down towards the ground.
Party chat- Va'lore “This will take us towards the center of the keep and directly behind the throne room. Once inside, just follow the corridor until you come to the Royal symbol on the wall. That will mark where we will be able to access the throne room. I will go ahead and scout out the area and attempt to get a count of what you will be up against.”
Va'lore floated off ahead of them, before he disappeared through the wall, leaving the two women in darkness. Elohwa knelt down and ran her hand across the stone before pushing it in. As the secret door opened, they were assaulted by the stench of the gnolls. Both women had to suppress gags at the vile smell. Through the years, the scent of the gnolls had built up within the keep.
Party chat- Aya “OMFG haven’t they heard of baths? This is absolutely disgusting!!”
Party chat- Elohwa “They actually do bathe, but they tend to defecate wherever they feel like.”
Party chat- Aya “Did I mention that’s just disgusting?”
They took a few minutes to let the halls air out a bit before they proceeded down the long dark hall. Elohwa, whose elven sight allowed her to see in the dark, positioned herself in front of Aya so she could guide her, Thorn staying at the back again as a rearguard.
Party chat- Elohwa “Raise your hand and put it on my shoulder, I will guide you where we need to go.”
Aya’s eyes were still adjusting to the sudden darkness so she raised her hand up and moved it around seeking Elohwa’s shoulder. After a few misses her hand found something to hold on to.
“That….is not my shoulder….” Elohwa had turned to face the Dreamer to see what she was doing. Even in the dark, she could see perfectly, so she could see the Dreamer’s cheeks flush in embarrassment, her hand immediately pulling back at the realization of where she had grabbed. Elohwa took pity and took Aya’s hand and placed it up onto her shoulder.
“Sorry about that!” Aya was absolutely horrified at the thought she had just felt up her Companion.
Elohwa smiled in the dark knowing the Dreamer still couldn’t quite see well enough. “No worries. I do not mind it one bit.”
Aya, still embarrassed, frowned. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make some things out, but still her night vision wasn’t nearly as good as Elohwa’s so she kept a firm hand on her Companion and allowed Elohwa to lead them through the dark corridor. While they were moving through the dark, Aya kept one hand on Elohwa’s shoulder and then opened her notifications.
Congratulations Dreamer! You have created the Ice Shield spell. By combining the Fire Shield spell with Glacial Spike you have created an Ice Shield. This spell places a personal shield of Ice around the target of the spell. The Ice Shield will cause enemies within 5 feet to slow and eventually come to a complete stop (Frozen). This spell has a chance to freeze enemies, stunning them as well as inflicting Frostbite on an enemy. Frostbite dmg 35 dps. Duration 10 mins. (base)
Congratulations Dreamer! You have created the Ice Dome spell! By combining the Fire Dome spell with Glacial Spike you have created an Ice Dome. This Ice Dome can be placed around the caster or a group of mobs. Any enemies with 5 feet will be slowed and eventually come to a complete stop (Frozen). The Dome has a chance to freeze enemies, stunning them as well as inflicting Frostbite on an enemy. Frostbite dmg 35 dps. Duration 2 mins. (base)
Congratulations Dreamer! You have created the Ice Wall spell- A wall of Ice that can be placed against other objects or freestanding. Can be used as protection. Any enemies with 5 feet will be slowed and eventually come to a complete stop (Frozen). Frostbite dmg 35 dps. Base Damage 25 dps 5% mana cost. Duration 20 sec. (base)
Eventually, they came to a symbol on the wall, a beautifully ornate infinity symbol comprised of both a phoenix and a dragon turning back on one another and chasing the tail of the other in an aerial dance, this was the royal crest of the Shadow Elven empire. Aya found it interesting that the Royal House bore the same symbol as the game itself, though this one was much more beautiful and elaborate than the normal infinity symbol the game used. While the phoenix was the typical phoenix one would see in fantasy pictures or murals, the dragon was more akin to the asian dragons rather than the big bulky westernized dragons. Its lithe body was covered in small black, blue, violet and opalescent scales which shimmered in the light giving the illusion of stars in the night sky. Fur adorned its back, legs and tail. A red blindfold covered the dragon’s eyes as he faced the phoenix.
Party chat- Aya “Why is the dragon wearing a blindfold?”
Elohwa glanced at the symbol quickly before she peered at the Dreamer over her shoulder.
Party chat- Elohwa “Have you ever looked at a light source after coming in from the dark? The Dragon wears it so as not to be blinded by the Phoenix’s light. It is the the only way he can be with her without losing his sight.”
Elohwa ran her fingers across the emblem, both pride and shame welling up within her. Pride at the origins of her
people, shame for what had happened to them.
Party chat- Va'lore “It would appear that the Gnoll King is holding court currently. It seems they are aware of the activities within the city and are making defensive plans to keep any would be intruders out of their territory.
Party chat- Aya “Guess it was a good idea to do this now rather than later, huh?”
Party chat- Elohwa “Indeed, it would appear so. What kind of numbers are we talking about in the throne room now?”
There was a brief pause as Va'lore was fully assessing the situation before him.
Party chat-Va'lore “I count at least 80, and those are the ones I can see.”
Aya gasped at the sheer number of gnolls that were between them and the throne. When they had fought in the Dead Fields, the most they had gotten at once was a group of ten ghouls but the undead had come ceaselessly. Odds were, with so many being packed into the room they would end up with more than they could handle. Add that to the fact there would likely be casters in the mix Aya’s hopes of taking the throne without too much hassle were quickly deflating.
Party chat-Aya “How the hell are we supposed to take out a room of 80 plus mobs with casters and archers?!?!
Party chat-Elohwa “Va'lore, what is the level range of those you can see?”
Again Va'lore paused briefly as he scanned the room.
Party chat-Va'lore “The lowest is 75 while the King is the highest at 120. The Royal Guards are all 118 and are fully armored.”