Shepherd's Wolf

by M. Andrew Reid

The sword did not waver, and neither did the arrow.

  “You spoke to Tungsten? I’ve never even spoken to Tungsten personally.” The Warder’s face was clouded with suspicion. “If Tungsten sent you, what are our names?”

  Wisp sighed. He smiled, and exploded in a cloud of smoke, activating a sprint ability and blasting into the forest. The ability would last for five seconds, propelling him through the trees at amazing speed.

  Wisp glanced over his shoulder and was dismayed to see that the Rogue was keeping pace with him, a short sword drawn and ready. The Warder was loping not far behind, waiting to cut him off whichever direction he took.

  Wisp was facing a kill-team - trained to take out Explorer spies and sabotage enemy operations. Kill-teams were usually made of one stealth class and a “Sentinel” class - someone trained to reveal and eliminate stealthy enemies. The combination was extremely lethal to the sneaky folks that the Explorers used as spies. Wisp could have been part of such a team, partnering with a stronger companion, if he had not been banished from the Conquerors.

  Wisp flicked a dart over his shoulder, but the Rogue flinched around it. The sprint ability would wear off, and Wisp knew he would have to stand his ground. He was outnumbered by higher level enemies, and his opponents were trained specifically to kill him. As bad as it was, he saw no other choice.

  He rebounded off a tree trunk, spinning in the air and drawing the Spark Katana. Arcs of electricity surrounded him, and the smell of ozone bit at his nostrils. The Rogue tucked low and rolled under the whirling blade.

  The Warder grunted and swung his heavy claymore with such force that it would have cut Wisp in two - had he not tumbled away. Wisp was quickly back on his feet with a backswing that was expertly blocked by the Warder. The copper armor did its job; lightning from Wisp’s sword passed harmlessly to the forest floor.

  The Rogue moved in from Wisp’s side, his short sword held down-hand in a defensive position. A dagger was now in the Rogue’s other hand. The Warder held his claymore in a high guard, the tip of the long blade scratching tree branches overhead. He would bring it down with brutal force as soon as Wisp gave him an opening.

  Wisp flurried his katana, filling the air with lightning and sparks but doing little else. His assailants were not intimidated in the slightest by the magic sword. They were professional fighters and had probably seen much worse wielded by opponents that actually knew what they were doing.

  The Conquerors pressed Wisp back step-by-step. He quickly glanced behind him to see that they were running him up against a large tree. Once his back was scraping the tree, he would have nowhere to go. He prepared for a final lunge, hoping to at least take one pursuer out with him.

  A fierce shriek rocked the forest, and a yellow blur attached itself to the Rogue’s face. The man screamed as talons and a sharp beak shredded his eyes and cheeks.

  Three arrows sprouted from the Warder’s chest in rapid succession. The soft copper armor did little to protect him from piercing points. He grunted and snarled with frustration. The tall man lurched toward Wisp, determined to cut him down with the massive sword.

  Wisp wheeled away from the heavy blade and took a quick slice at the Warder’s shin. He was rewarded with a streak of red running down the man’s leg. He brought up his sword in time to parry a strong thrust that would have skewered him.

  The Warder grunted again as several more arrows pierced his arm, groin, and thigh. He now held the sword in one hand, drawing it back for another attempt to filet Wisp.

  Wisp easily dodged a low swing and darted forward. The Spark Katana buried itself to the hilt in the man’s chest, and Wisp found himself eye to eye with the Warder.

  The man looked down at the arrows protruding from his chest. What had been anger on his face became amusement. He fingered the yellow fletching on an arrow, then grinned and choked out, “Athena!” before vanishing in a green mist. The Rogue’s armor and weapon were scattered about, as well as the arrows that had ended his part of the fight.

  Athena appeared from the trees, another arrow knocked to her bow.

  She grinned at the empty armor on the ground, “Once again, the mighty Athena...” She stopped when her eyes met Wisp’s. Instead of the relief mixed with defiance that she had expected to find on Wisp’s face, she saw fear.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Your arrows.” Wisp pointed to the bright yellow fletching protruding from the empty scale armor. “They know.”

  Excerpt from “Limerick’s Dungeon Guide”

  Walkthrough 17- Carrion Hall and the Carrion Marsh

  Carrion Hall

  Rating: Very Difficult (20+)

  Minimum Party Size: 5

  Recommended Party Composition: Standard 5-man

  Tank (Don’t even go near Carrion Hall without a serious tank.)

  Support (Guardian Mage, Moon Priest, Inhibitor work well.)

  Healer

  Melee DPS (Someone beefy)

  Ranged DPS (If your support doesn’t have a lot of crowd control you will want a mage that can lock a few enemies down. Otherwise, anyone who can shoot harmful objects at enemies will work.)

  Introduction

  Most of Verdia’s dungeons are designed to be “scary.” Without the sense of danger and wariness, dungeons would be boring. But let’s face it, they are all basically the same thing: You and some friends wander through a series of poorly lit rooms and kill things for loot or glory or money. (Or all three.)

  What makes Carrion Hall different is that it is actually SCARY. It really messes with your mind if you are not careful. On my first run through I had to remind myself several times that it was not real. In order to survive this dungeon you will do things that you aren’t comfortable with.

  Carrion Hall tells a story, which may be why it gets in your head. There are several manuscripts scattered throughout the castle that go into much more detail than I do here, but I think you will be better off with a history lesson before attempting this extremely difficult dungeon. Maybe when you are inside you will remember that everything you are seeing is simply an unfolding story, and that nothing in there can hurt you. ….Or can it?

  Just kidding, it’s a game. Now, on to the history.

  Background

  If you do not know the history of the Agilus race and how they got to Verdia, you are reading this out of order and you need to go back to the “Races” section. I’m tired of holding your hand and I hate repeating myself. Go read it; I’ll wait.

  Carrion Hall was the seat of power for the ancient Agilus Survivors. They called themselves “Survivors” because their great great great grandfathers had crashed in the mountains some fifty miles to the northwest. When the dazed and frightened Agilus wandered away from their ship, they settled on the banks of the Sweet Lady. They named themselves “Survivors,” and used the labor of their Brutalli slaves to build a new society.

  For some reason- maybe religion, maybe fear- the Agilus never went back to their ship. They never retrieved any technology from the Agilar. Therefore, they pretty much started with nothing. Over hundreds of years they built up a level of advancement that is similar to what you would see in Verdia today. They had cities and roads and canals.

  Carrion Hall has another name, but the word is unpronounceable and its meaning is lost. Legend named it Carrion Hall after what happened there. The events that took place in Carrion Hall forever changed Verdia, and paved the way for the arrival of the Electar, who in turn brought humans to this world. (Seriously, read the “Races” section, I’m not going over it all again.)

  The last Agilus Survivor King, who will from here on be referred to as “the King,” held a grand party at his castle. The Survivors from all over Verdia came to dance and feast and give homage to the King. It was supposed to be a celebration of what the Agilus had achieved despite being stranded on this strange and hostile world.

  Agilus culture on Verdia followed the patterns of their home world. There was a ruling class of a few wealthy familie
s that dominated the working and artisan classes. They dictated how much food they could eat, where they could live, and even who they could mate with and how many children they could have.

  Even below these lower Agilus were the Brutalli slaves. The life of a Brutalli had little or no worth to an Agilus. They were routinely killed offhand for offenses as simple as sneezing when an Agilus was speaking. It was common practice for Brutalli servants to be forced to fight each other to the death with farming tools for the amusement of the Agilus lords.

  Now, Omni may have some larger meaning behind this story, but for me it seems like the Agilus nobles got what was coming to them. But I’m jumping ahead here.

  So this party is all of the wealthy Agilus celebrating how wealthy and great they are. The King gets up to make a speech, and then things start to happen.

  The King is only the King because his family is the most powerful. There are other families who want to be in power. The King’s trusted advisor has struck a deal with some of the lower class Agilus. They will kill the King and his family and be given titles of their own and status as nobles.

  But these lower-class Agilus have had enough manipulation. They go to the Brutalli and say “We aren’t that different. What if we told you we have just been given the means to kill the King and almost all of the nobles? What if we could forget about slavery and classes and just live free?”

  When you enter Carrion Hall, you are walking in on this party and the beginning of the speech. Keep in mind that at first it won’t be obvious who you are going to have to fight, but I’ll get into more detail on the actual walkthrough...”

  That’s all you get for free. If you would like to purchase this guide, visit www.guidetoverdia.com See you in Verdia!

  Chapter 15

  Carrion Hall

  The Sweet Lady

  The Sweet Lady flowed gently in the bright sun- a river so wide that neither bank could be seen from the middle. Wind tugged at the sails as tireless iruka worked steadily to pull their load against the current.

  Sometime in the night, Gale had come on deck and spoken with Horatio. She had discovered that he was an NPC, which explained quite a bit. After making him swear never to tell anyone, she gave the order to release Gabe and Christine.

  Laura watched with amusement as the wolf was hoisted with ropes and pulleys. He took the ordeal in stride, and was thankful to escape the dark hold. Christine pulled herself out with clawed wings and stretched out on the warm planking, yawning.

  When Horatio saw the wolf, he laughed and clapped with delight. He shouted something to his iruka and scrambled to the stern of his pilot boat. To Laura’s amazement, the plump little man scurried up a thick rope connecting the boats as if he was running up a staircase.

  Horatio slowed when he reached the railing. He bowed to Gale, “Permission to come aboard?”

  Gale laughed, “Permission granted.”

  Horatio slowly approached Gabe with wonder in his eyes. Viper walked up from where he had been sitting at the stern. He gave Laura a questioning glance. Laura shrugged; she had no idea what was happening.

  With one hand outstretched, Horatio inched toward the wolf. Ben watched silently as the man gently patted Gabe on the snout. With a child-like grin, Horatio turned to the crew, “You must tell no one of this!”

  “Aye,” Barnacle snarled. “My crew I trust, but you? If ye speak of this to any...”

  “I would never!” Horatio placed his hand on his heart, “Before Omni I swear.”

  “Huh?” Viper spurted incredulously. “What is going on here?”

  Barnacle turned to Viper as if seeing him for the first time, “Thousand pardons, we NPCs do have our quirks n’ superstitions. The White Wolf be a good luck charm.”

  Viper gave Gale a questioning glance. “ NPCs at the Haven acted the same way. It’s just a wolf.”

  Gale grinned, “Are you really that surprised? Why are you here if not because of this wolf? Why is this whole game in turmoil because of it? I think the NPCs are just a little smarter than us.”

  “I am here for profit, not worship,” Viper sneered in disgust. He turned back to Barnacle, “What exactly is this superstition?”

  Barnacle guffawed, “As if I would tell ye! Yer nothin’ but bilgewaste, I didna want ye aboard. Ye would have been over the rails if I were Cap’n. No,” his one eye glared at Viper, “ye won’t be learnin’ secrets from Barnacle, so ye can find some way to spread yer filth on ‘em.”

  “Enough, Barnacle,” Gale chided, “I won’t have you speaking that way to our guests.”

  Barnacle bowed, “Aye, Cap’n.”

  Viper approached Ben and the wolf, but Gabe bared his teeth. The wolf did not growl; the silence was all the more menacing. Viper scowled and backed away. He looked at Ben and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as a crewman ran up from the helm.

  “Captain, there’s a message for you on the crystal! It’s urgent.”

  The “crystal” was a magical communication device that allowed the ship to contact other crystals around Verdia. Crystals were large enough that they were rarely carried on foot, but they fit easily in a large case near a ship’s wheel. There were “posts” around Verdia that would allow players to send a message for a nominal fee. A crystal owner could send a message anywhere they desired within Verdia. Players could circumvent the system entirely by sending emails or text messages outside of the game, but there was no fun to be had doing things the easy way.

  Gale dipped her head at the crewman and followed him to the bridge. She returned moments later with a stiff frown on her face. She fiddled absently with the musket hanging from her belt.

  “We have a problem.”

  “Oh?” Laura said. “Something is wrong with the ship?”

  Gale shook her head, “I wish. The ship we could fix. We have a problem at Red Harbor. The Conquerors discovered our friends and now they have spies all over the town.”

  “Wisp,” Viper growled.

  Gale raised an eyebrow, “Bishop did mention a Wisp. How did you know?”

  “A good guess,” Viper slammed a fist against the main mast. “What do you think?”

  “Well,” Gale responded, “we can beach somewhere and wait them out.”

  “No,” Viper said. “This region will be swarmed soon. If anything, we have to move even faster.”

  “You have a better idea, then?”

  Viper sighed and leaned over the railing, “I’m not sure you would call it better. How far are we from Carrion Hall?”

  Gale grimaced, and Barnacle let out a loud hiss. One of the crewmen groaned somewhere up in the rigging.

  Laura chuckled, “Am I supposed to be shocked as well?”

  “It’s close enough to the Agilar.” Viper continued, “We won’t have to travel that much further once we exit. We can also avoid Blood Moon territory”

  “If you exit,” Gale retorted. “Not many make it out the other side.”

  “I’ve done it alone,” Viper said. “I can run them through.”

  “Alone, you say?” Gale whistled, “Well, I defer to the expert. However, that still leaves the problem of the rest of your party. How will they get to the entrance?”

  “Don’t worry about that.” Viper narrowed his eyes, “Take us to Carrion Marsh.”

  …

  The Harpy turned toward the river’s north bank, which had been out of site over the horizon. Before long, the bank stretched before them on either side. Dense green jungle grasped at the water’s edge. A haze hung in the air around the dark forest.

  Tendrils and vines dipped into the warm lazy water. The Harpy continued along the bank for some time before reaching an opening in the green wall. A canal had been carved into the forest, with crumbling stone embankments rising on either side. Clouds of buzzing insects covered putrid, stagnant water. Brown scum swirled lazily in small eddies at the entrance.

  Horatio yelled up from the pilot boat, “Iruka go no further. Horatio is sorry, but they will not ente
r the canal. This is bad place! No good for you!”

  “Thank you, Horatio.” Gale smiled, “I believe we will stop here as well. May we purchase your pilot boat so my friends can travel up the canal?”

  Horatio stroked his moustache and shook with a great belly laugh, “You do not need to sell! If Horatio had known you had the Wolf with you, he would have taken you for free. The boat is yours, as long as you will take Horatio back to the Green Tower. Iruka will find their own way.”

  In a very short time, all lines had been cut and the two vessels separated. Gabe and Christine were lowered onto the pilot boat with winches. Ben, Viper, and Laura followed behind them. Christine was larger than a horse now - a bit bigger than Gabe. The two monstrous animals curled up at the front of the boat.

  Ship and boat parted ways, with Gale, Horatio, and her crew waving from the Harpy’s deck. The ship drifted a while with the current before coming about, setting sail, and taking off downstream.

  Laura looked around the empty boat, “I don’t see any oars. How are we supposed to move?”

  Ben peered over the side and wrinkled his nose, “I don’t want to get in that. I’m not even sure it’s water.”

  Viper walked to the stern with Focus and a rare grin. He twirled the spear and its blade began to glow white-hot. The spear hummed and rattled in his hands until he braced one foot against the stern and thrust the tip into the brown water.

  There was a surging, gurgling rumble; a cloud of steam billowed from the muck. Slowly, the boat slid forward. It picked up speed until they were moving up the canal at a steady clip.

  Viper tipped his head at Ben, “Go watch up front and yell if we are going to hit something.”

  Ben laughed, “I should have named it the Swiss Army Spear.”

  “Victorinox,” Laura said with a smile.

  “What was that?” Viper jerked around and stared at her.

  “I said Victorinox. They make Swiss Army knives. He could have named the spear Victorinox.” Laura was puzzled at his reaction.