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Ren✧

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Girasol

 

"Too slow, pipsqueak… as always."

 

Ugh, how irksome.

 

Girasol did nothing half-assed. She wasn’t going to let the jab slide, particularly from someone as arrogant as Reebus. The damn hairless cat didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut: he sat on his status as second-in-command and expected everyone else to just take it. Without getting up from her position on the rock, she swiveled her scope to the retreating form of the cat - more specifically just as he walked up to Cass. The Shadowbind skill had the desired effect as the last words left his lips: his feet tangled up as they were pinned in place and he landed on the ground with an unforgiving “thump!”

 

The faun slowly walked down to her struggling superior, relishing the scene in silence for a moment. “Some advice you’d well heed, teorieomneum goyangi. Do not spite me in your climb of ambition.” Her tone was the same disinterested monotone it was normally, but the menace behind it was palpable. She slung Kybele across her back, contemptuously turning her back on Reebus. “It will just make the fall more painful.” She then pivoted to the guild leader, giving her nothing but a slight nod of recognition. “These are words for you too, Cass, although I don’t expect you to fall to the same haughtiness. May our next mission be just as successful.” Girasol took a few steps away before she even thought to release Shadowbind, to let Reebus finally get up again. She would’ve liked to leave him there all night if she could, but unfortunately her mana wasn’t inexhaustible.

 

As she walked, she passed Chloe and Dodger (the latter of whose name she couldn’t even try to spell in English, much less Korean). The two of them looked cowed, meekly bowing their heads as a few higher-level guild members berated them. A twang of pity crossed her heartstrings but was quick to pass. She only rolled her eyes silently and shot a glare of disapproval their way. Shame, too. She sorta liked Chloe, begrudging as she was to admit it, but the girl needed to grow a spine. If the girl wanted to come to her for training, she wasn’t going to say “no.” The cat though… another lost cause. You couldn’t beat that sort of fear out of someone. They had to do it themselves.

 

Upon that last thought, Girasol dropped her eyes in silent recognition of the hypocrisy. Damnit. The thought of being stuck in this world ate into her like termites. She wasn’t looking when she bumped into Melethil as a result. “Ah, Melethil.” She offered no apologies but merely a quick acknowledgment. The ball was in the other court now, so to speak.

 

((Got Hyde’s permission to control Reebus for this post, so shouldn’t be an issue… I think.))

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Cass gave Reebus a glowering glance, his arrogance not lost on her. She often thought assigning Reebus as second-in-command was a mistake on her part. His self-important attitude got in the way of him being a good leader and his need to turn everything into a production made him careless. There had been no need for him to cast Storm, it had been a grandiose, superfluous act that just wasted mana when a well placed Sky Crack would've done the trick. However, no matter how the two differed it didn't change the fact that without him Cass would be dead...or worse, she would still be caught in some never ending glitch for all eternity. She owed him a lot. 

 

"So what's next...this detour has really cut into our gold grinding...don't you think?"

 

"I think you're forgetting something a bit crucial." She responded, shooting him another pair of daggers. 

 

Before anything else could be said between the two, the Shaman stumbled, abruptly falling into the snow. Cass raised her eyebrows at his clumsiness, a smile of surprised amusement unconsciously twitching upon her lips. It, however, quickly faded as she noted the cause of the Khepura's fall. This was not the first time that Girasol had, had contention with others in the guild. While part of her no doubt believed that Reebus deserved it, she also wasn't a fan of the faun's need to defensively lash out at the smallest challenge of her honor.  

 

"These are words for you too, Cass, although I don’t expect you to fall to the same haughtiness. May our next mission be just as successful.”

 

Cass sighed, dipping her head slightly. "Again, you all seem to be missing something." Turning ever so slightly to face where the two rescued players and Do'jhera had been joined by Stacks and Lichiethro. "Our intel said there were three players to be rescued. I only count two." Turning back to Girasol, Cass cocked an eyebrow. "This mission isn't over yet."

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"I hope you two learned a lesson 'ere. See those bones? That could've been you." Upon hearing Lichiethro's words, Kirin turned towards the necromancer. Despite her orcish frame, the recent events had left her feeling quite small. There was nothing like almost dying and then being saved by complete strangers to teach one humility. 

 

Instead of saying anything, Kirin just burst into tears; she dropped her spear and shield into the snow. Covering her face with her hands she began to say something, but it was completely indecipherable through her sobbing. 

 

"I'm so sorry if we caused you any trouble. As you can see my friend is very upset. We appreciate all your help, but I think it's best if we get on our way." Kirin's compatriot, Epik, explained, placing an arm around his friend. However, as he did so, Kirin looked at him in disgust and threw off his touch. 

 

"S-so you w-want to just abandon her th-then?!" She said in between sobs, jabbing a pointed finger towards the elf. 

 

"Kirn." Epik said through closed teeth. "If you say something, they're going to get the rare loot and not us." He kept his voice low, trying to make it so that only Kirin could hear him, however, he was doing fairly poor job at it.

 

"Loot!! You still want that f-f***ing rare item? I al-always said you were a bastard!" Kirin gave Epik a hardy shove, her earlier panic dissolving into anger. 

 

"Woah!" Cass interrupted the two, not wanting things to get any more violent between them. "Why don't you just tell us what happened?" Cass asked, directing the question at Kirin. She momentarily turned towards her guildmates. "Can someone please show this a****** the path down the mountain? We're done helping him." Cass gestured towards Epik, they would be letting him find his own way back to safety at this point. 

 

Cass listened to Kirin's detail of events. There had indeed been three party members that had gone up into the Adralian Mountains in search of Mountaineer's Refuge and the rare items that were said to be there. However, when the Dzu-teh had attacked one member of their party had gotten separated and carried off by the monsters. That's why Kirin had been so upset. 

 

"If she's still out there. We'll find her." 


[spoiler=OoC]

Alright so take a moment to react. Finish character interactions. Console Kirin. Loot the Dzu-teh (if Stacks left you anything). We'll be heading off into the Northern Wilds very soon to try and track down the last member of the party. Feel free to scope out the edge of the tree line, but don't be going too far into the forest. I am very impressed with everyone, doing great guys, let's keep it up!

 

 

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With Heljä gone, Chloé was free to rejoin her teammates, most of whom seemed busy either looting the fallen monsters' corpses or trying to somehow one-up each other. Even so, the girl lingered for a moment, a sad, faint smile on her lips as she tied up her hair into a long braid once more, weaving in her ribbon for safekeeping. In her heart of hearts, she knew that the polar bear wasn't alive. Not really. Still, she couldn't help but feel attached to Heljä, as strange as it might seem to the others.

 

After all... She's all I have left of him...

 

"Chloé, you should be careful running into the front like that," Stacks chided loudly, speaking over her shoulder as she poked around the slain Dzu-teh, hunting for treasure. "You don't have the gear or the stats to take many hits, and we don't want you gettin' hurt."

 

"Of course, Stacks," she replied softly, bowing her head as her cheeks flushed pink with shame. "I should have thought things through properly... Forgive me. I'll do better next time, I promise."

 

Mentally berating herself for her foolishness, she looked up gingerly after a few seconds, only to cross gazes with Girasol as the latter passed by. To Chloé's surprise, the sniper's eyes were full of disapproval—and something else. Pity, perhaps? Before she quite knew what she was doing, the girl reached out one hand, as if she meant to call out to the prickly-tempered faun, even though she had no idea what to say. Thankfully, the moment didn't last long.

 

"This mission isn't over yet," Cass interrupted, reminding the team that there was still one missing player to be accounted for. Grateful for the opportunity to avoid embarrassing herself again, Chloé nodded her head and moved closer, listening attentively as one of the rescued players, Kirin, recited her plight.

 

A few minutes later saw Chloé slightly ahead of the others, walking by herself along the border of the forest, lost in thought. Cass, Reebus, and the rest of the guild's more experienced members were huddled only a stone's throw away, hashing out a strategy to rescue Kirin's kidnapped friend, their conversation reduced to a low comforting hum in her ears.

 

The Deceivers...

 

A truly fitting name for such a terrible group. Just what kind of people got their kicks from tricking others into their deaths? The mere idea was enough to make her shudder, almost as much as the thought that sooner or later, she and the rest of Ithaca would come face-to-face with them. It was merely a matter of time. What would happen then?

 

She came to an eventual halt at the foot of a particularly massive snow-covered pine tree, so large that its shadow threatened to swallow her whole. Craning her neck upwards, she watched as several bushy-tailed squirrels chased each other along its branches, chittering playfully. Somewhere, a bird was singing. For a moment, she almost lost herself in the perfection of the scene, lulled by the tranquil beauty of nature. Sometimes, it was entirely too easy to forget that all of this—that the world of Bluefire itself—was pure fantasy. Whoever they were, the game's programmers had certainly done their homework.

 

Raising both hands, Chloé called out sweetly to the creatures in their own language, beckoning them to their side.Hesitantly at first, but then, overwrought by curiosity, the squirrels scurried down the tree, while several birds alighted upon the girl's shoulders, surrounding her in a chorus of birdsong.

 

"Tell me, friends... We're looking for a hostage, taken prisoner by the Dzu-teh. Have you seen anything like that?"

 

[spoiler=Note]1. Chloé is using her passive ability, "Beast Whisperer," which lets her communicate with animals.

 

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"I think you're forgetting something a bit crucial." Cass responded, sharply.  Her tongue felt like a whip against his skin...but Reebus was accustomed to it by now.  However, he wouldn't let her off the chain so easily with that tone.  Reebus leaned over, getting in Cass' personal space.  

 

"I think you're forgetting that I. Don't. Care."  Reebus let the words roll of his rough tongue.  He truly was apathetic towards this whole situation.  It was beyond his comprehension how three players managed to fall for such obvious deception.  Reebus remembered the same trick being played on him not too long after they got stuck here.  At that time, however, The Deceivers were much less sinister.  Reebus fixed his posture, and stood upright, stretching out his back as his tail danced lightly above the snow.  "Hmph...I'm not at the discretion of ignoring your orders though...I'll do as you say, Cass."

 

As the two others they had saved started explaining, which soon divulged into an argument, they obviously had to be split up.  

 

"Can someone please show this a****** the path down the mountain? We're done helping him."

 

"Yeah yeah...I'll show him."  Reebus prompted the elf to follow him with a flick of his hand.  He led the player up towards the mountain where he yawned.  "So...this loot...what was it supposedly?"  Reebus didn't care if he received an answer or not, but he listened closely.  When they were far enough away, he turned the Elf towards the path that Ithaca had travelled to get here.  "I don't think the monsters we killed getting here have re-spawned yet...but if they have...'Dzu-Teh'care."  He snickered, before patting the brute on the back, and leaving him to his trek back to safety.  When Reebus returned, he was greeted with the finalities of the girl, Kirin's, stories.  

 

"If she's still out there. We'll find her." 

 

"Great...a side quest in the middle of a side quest, that's not even a side quest."  Reebus rocked his head back and forth, giving off whiny meows.  "The girl's probably dead by nyow.  This is a waste of time."  Reebus was never good at the whole 'empathy' thing.  "Although...I've never head stories of players being actively taken against their will by monsters.  I'm almost intrigued to find out the result."  Reebus walked away from the wailing Orc, and found his fellow Khepura of the group.  He greeted Do'jhera with a firm slap to the back.  

 

"Nyohoho!  You should've seen yourself back there!  You were quaking in your boots!  Nyohohoho!  Puss in boots!"  Reebus couldn't help but laugh at his comrade.  He wiped a virtual tear from his eye, and suddenly shifted the tone.  "Seriously...you give Khepura like me a bad name.  Grow a spine already...or else you'll just be a detriment to Ithaca.  I want this guild to thrive...not be dragged down by fear-wrought felines."  Reebus sighed.  Maybe he was being a little too harsh on Do'jhera.  Maybe Cass was just desperate for players when they accepted Do'jhera...and Reebus couldn't blame her.  "There's still hope for you though.  I believe you can be the best damn Duelist this game has to offer, if you stop being such a scaredy-cat.  Seriously man...you're a Khepura...act like one!"  And with that, Reebus left Do'jhera, looking towards the north with dull eyes.  

 

"What an Odyssey we have begun..."  He whispered to the wind.

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"How's it goin' over here, Melethil? Say. In case one a those mucka-mucks gets a grand idea to attack again, could I get some mana from ya? Sorry ta pester ya."

 

"O-Of course! Th, that's my job after all," Melethil said compliantly. He was the only cleric here, and as far as he knew, nobody else had any abilities that could restore mana. His Calm Mind was a good asset to have in that regard, and Melethil began to cast it, taking a deep breath and focusing his mana toward Brando. It was restoring much more mana than it cost, but it seemed that mana wouldn't be necessary. The Dzu-Teh fell down one after the other. The fight was over. Ithaca had won this time.

 

"And Reebus saves the day...as always."

 

Oh please. Stacks barely even had to take any damage these things went down so easily; if carrying such an easy fight is equal to saving an entire day, I must be the best cleric left in Bluefire.

 

"M-Mhm. G, Good for you," Melethil said in a congratulating tone that belied the sharp tone being taken just inside his head, away from where his character was out for all to see. With the fight taken care of, Melethil turned his attention to the underleveled players. They really shouldn't have been here. Melethil shivered under his cloak as the battle that was distracting him from the cold...stopped distracting him from the cold. His eyes swung toward Stacks for a moment. He could do with a warm fire right about now, and she was best-suited for handing one out. However, his attention was pulled back to the underleveled party as Lichiethro told them off about the dangers of coming up here without being of the proper level.

 

"I hope you two learned a lesson 'ere. See those bones? That could of been you."

 

Melethil was about to offer his own two cents on why going into a zone that was too high-level for you was a bad idea and you should never do it, before the paladin burst into tears and the two low-level players got into an argument over rare loot. He was suddenly a lot more interested in this adventure for a moment...before remembering they'd been lured here by Deceivers. There probably wasn't any rare loot. How unfortunate. Reebus began to show one of them away from here. As he watched, trying and failing to listen in on any sort of talk about this rumored loot from where he'd been, he felt somebody bump into his side.

 

“Ah, Melethil.”

 

"S-S-Sorry! I should have been paying more attention to where everyone was!" With that, Melethil made his way out of Girasol's way, and started down toward the Dzu-Teh...or rather, what was left of them. Or at least, one would think that was his goal. He'd seen everyone else down there already loot them. Anything they still had on them by now was of no interest to Melethil, no doubt. Instead, his target was Stacks. The air was less bitter-cold just standing near where she'd fought the Dzu-Teh. As he put the words together in his head to ask for a campfire to warm up with, an idea hit.

 

Probably not a very good one. But an idea.

 

"S-Say, Stacks," the elf weakly started, shivering under his cloak as he continued to pull it to be as tight around his body as possible. His eyes were fixated on the paladin, if only so that he didn't have to look at the icy clouds that escaped his lips with each breath. "I h-had an idea. We could p-p-probably make a good profit, ah..." Melethil paused, fighting back a sneeze. "...if we let others pay us t, to escort them through the m-m-mountains. With your, ah-ah...your abilities as a t-tank, and my healing, n-n-not to men-ACHOO!" Melethil stopped talking, hit by a fit of shivering as well as to regain his composure. "Y-Y-Your skills with fi, fire would be a h-huge selling point. B-But for now, I n-n-need a small fire m-myself...ah..." He was done talking now. Melethil could really focus on pushing the sneeze back. He moved his tongue just a bit to the right, and clamped down on it with his teeth. Not hard enough to qualify as biting his own tongue, but enough that he definitely felt something.

 

I'm all for immersion, but this cold is ridiculous.


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Cass was not surprised that Reebus had more to say on the subject, he always did. She gritted her teeth so fiercely it was painful, but still she swallowed the fire she had prepared to spew in the Khepura's direction. There was no sense in causing more of a scene in front of everyone. She'd try and have a more private conversation with him later about the guild's priorities and where they should lie. Until then, however, she would forfeit her pride. 

 

Allowing everyone a few moments reprieve, Cass took a moment for herself as well. Pulling up her HUD, she grimaced at the mana bar. It was slowly regenerating, but she had really done a number on it throughout the battle. Part of her knew she should just ask Melethil to restore her mana, but being guild leader came with some responsibility of independence. It made her feel awkward. Besides, it was no matter, she had plenty of potions stored away. Removing one from her inventory, she uncorked it and replenished her mana. 

 

With a semi-content sigh, Cass turned her head against the falling snow and walked towards the guild's resident explosives expert. Taking a seat beside him, she let the moment of silence hang between them for a second before she broke it. "You know, I appreciate what you did," she began , "drawing the Dzu-teh's attention, risking your life." Again, she let the words hang there. She meant them and she wanted them to stand alone for a moment before she tainted them with her next thought. 

 

"But, it was reckless and you shouldn't have done it." Cass hoped it didn't feel like as much as a slap to the face as it sounded. "This is a trend Brando. You take needless risks, usually at your own expense, but today your actions could've affected a lot more people. Because you decided to charge in front of the Dzu-teh its health doubled which gave it more of an opportunity to kill any one of us. Plus, not to mention your little stunt with the dynamite endangered Stacks and Chloé." Cass didn't want her teammate to get the wrong idea, she wasn't upset with him, not really; she was concerned. She didn't want to see any of her guildmates die, especially not at the hands of each other. 

 

"Don't get me wrong, you were clearly the MVP today. Can you just try and be a little more careful?" 

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"Nyohoho! You should've seen yourself back there! You were quaking in your boots! Nyohohoho! Puss in boots!"

 

Do'jhera was greeted by his fellow Khepura player, Reebus with a slap on his back. It wasn't the person he really wanted to have approach him...not at all. "R-Reebus. Uh...y-yeah, I was just waiting for t-the right opportunity to strike." he said, only to see Reebus change his tone.

 

"Seriously...you give Khepura like me a bad name. Grow a spine already...or else you'll just be a detriment to Ithaca. I want this guild to thrive...not be dragged down by fear-wrought felines."

 

"R-Right..." he sighed, looking away. Reebus wasn't wrong, but he didn't know anything about him. In fact not many of the members of the Ithaca guild knew the grief and pain he hid deep down. He just only tried to put on the facade of everything being alright...

 

"There's still hope for you though. I believe you can be the best damn Duelist this game has to offer, if you stop being such a scaredy-cat. Seriously man...you're a Khepura...act like one!"

 

Do'jhera only nodded at Reebus' last statement to him, finding a little solace in what he said. Then again, he couldn't tell if the Khepura player was being sarcastic or not. Regardless, he took what he said to heart and would try his best to keep going. But right now, he moved a bit and made his way towards Kirin.

 

"Miss?" he said addressing Kirin, who still seemed to be quite distraught at this whole ordeal. Who could blame her really? "We're going to find your friend...but we need you to stay at Mountaineer's Refuge until we're able to return. Can you do that?" Do'jhera only saw Kirin nod slowly. "So, is there any information you can give us that you remember about your friend being taken?"

 

Kirin nodded, her hands sort of fidgeting as she spoke. "W-W-Well...I-I remember us passing a-a cave when I noticed...t-that Myra was gone." she spoke. She was obviously choked up by tears, cause her voice cracked with each word. "I-It was east from here? ...N-No...I-I think it was west...no that's not right..." Do'jhera could see that she was clearly getting frustrated on not remembering. He watched as Kirin held her head and shook it a few times. "D-Damnit! I-I can't remember...!!"

 

"It's alright." Do'jhera said, trying his best to console her. "You remembering just that little bit of information helps. Please don't get upset with yourself." He only saw Kirin nodding once more, but through all of this, Do'jhera as a whole felt like he accomplished something. For once in his life...more accurately in his gaming life here in Bluefire, he had done something right! Something that wasn't cooking or fishing. A bit of pride was seen on him now, almost as if he was wearing it as a badge of honor.

 

After thanking Kirin for her help, Do'jhera moved back to the group and approached Cass. She definitely needed to know about the information that was given.

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He scoffed as the orc girl cried, although he did not continue lecturing them. It was clear that at least one of them had learned their lesson. Still, the other one sounded like he was still trying to get some sort of treasure that probably didn't exist. It was none of his business if some scrub wanted to get himself killed, even after nearly avoiding death. He turned his back to the adventurers, fixing his gaze on his HUD. "About 40% used huh" He muttered disappointingly under his breath. It wasn't really all that much, but it had been more than he had wanted to use - especially since the last batch of skeletons were a bit of a waste. "Well, we do have a cleric for a reason." Lichiethro close his eyes, raising his lantern. He felt a sudden pain from his heart, as dark purple energy seem to erupt out of his eyes and mouth, and into the vessel in his hand. When it seemed to finish, he dropped to the ground, coughing. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that..." Getting up, he made his way towards Melethil and Stacks.

 

"Y-Y-Your skills with fi, fire would be a h-huge selling point. B-But for now, I n-n-need a small fire m-myself...ah..." He had only heard the last part of what the little cleric had said, but it was enough to pique his interest. "I was going to ask for a little healing," He interjected, checking one of whatever was left of the bodies on the floor. "But whatever you're scheming about sounds much more interesting." As he spoke, he searched the body, only to find not much at all. "Man, you guys are diligent when it comes to looting." He said jokingly, a hint of sadness in his voice. He had only managed to find some bones, and he wasn't even sure if it originated from the beast itself.

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"Of course, Stacks," Chloe replied softly, bowing her head as her cheeks flushed pink with shame. "I should have thought things through properly... Forgive me. I'll do better next time, I promise."

 

Stacks rolled her eyes and patted the smaller girl on the back. "Relax, we made it out fine. Just be careful next time and..." Stacks glowered down at Brando a few meters away. "...make sure to give Brando a wide berth."

 

The group that the party had rescued started talking about what was going on, giving details of their adventure. Something that Stacks was spending no time paying attention to. Between them talking and various other members of the group either bickering or being melodramatic, Stacks was more concerned with the loot she had collected and how much she could get for it in return. That is, until Stacks heard the group say a certain phrase.

 

"If you say something, they're going to get the rare loot and not us."

 

Stacks practically teleported to the group and was watching with intent eyes. "Did somebody say RARE LOOT?" She practically drooled. Of course, Stacks didn't have much time to listen to this particular topic when she felt a gentle tug on her mantle.

 

"S-Say, Stacks," Stacks heard the meek voice of Melethil shiver out from behind her.

 

"Yes I'm Stacks," Stacks replied as she turned around to face the smaller elf.

 

"I h-had an idea. We could p-p-probably make a good profit, ah..." Melethil paused, pretending to fight back a sneeze. "...if we let others pay us t, to escort them through the m-m-mountains. With your, ah-ah...your abilities as a t-tank, and my healing, n-n-not to men-ACHOO!Melethil paused again, shivering in the cold. Stacks rolled her eyes at the sneeze, but the shivering was no act; it really was that cold up here. "Y-Y-Your skills with fi, fire would be a h-huge selling point. B-But for now, I n-n-need a small fire m-myself...ah..."

 

Stacks rolled her eyes again, but figured she would help in that regard. Earning money from escorting sounded good, but so did rare loot. Of course, it all depended on what their guild's lead had to say. "Okay, hold up a second kid." Stacks looked around; there wasn't really anything to actually burn without some work to collect the wood, and Stacks wasn't sure they were going to spend much time there anyways. Instead, she went over to one of the Dzu-Teh corpses, drew her sword, and stabbed it in. After a few seconds, the ape-creature's body ignited into a small pillar of flames. The flame wall and pyre that Stacks could make wouldn't last long enough to really warm anyone up, and it would've been a waste of mana anyways. "There ya go, sorry about the smell but I don't think we're gonna be hanging around here long enough to collect firewood." As Stacks had rushed to the group talking about rare loot, Melethil seemed magnetically drawn to the fire and was quick to get near it. "Now about that proposition; it's gonna be up to Cass what we do, so sit tight for a sec." 

 

Stacks looked over and saw Cass talking with Brando; probably reprimanding him rightfully over that stunt with the TNT. "Yo boss lady!" Stacks announced, walking over. "The twerp 'n I volunteer to, ah, escort these noobs down the mountain. Whaddya say?"

 

 

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"But, it was reckless and you shouldn't have done it."

 

Brando nodded, listening intently to Cass.

 

"This is a trend Brando. You take needless risks, usually at your own expense, but today your actions could've affected a lot more people. Because you decided to charge in front of the Dzu-teh its health doubled which gave it more of an opportunity to kill any one of us. Plus, not to mention your little stunt with the dynamite endangered Stacks and Chloé.  Don't get me wrong, you were clearly the MVP today. Can you just try and be a little more careful? "

 

Brando sighed.  But he understood.  Macy understood.  "Aye, you're right Cass.  Got ahead of myself.  I acted without thinking things all the way through.  But," he said, getting to his feet.  "I'll be more cautious.  I wouldn't wanna take anyone's life.  Not my style.  Thanks fer bein' honest with me.  Wouldn't have it any other way."  Brando dusted the snow off himself, and stretched.  

 

"Yo boss lady!"

 

Stacks had engaged Cass.  Brando placed his back against the mountain and stared at the Orc they rescued.  Reebus had taken the Orc's friend down the mountain already.  All that was left was to find her friend, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for this to all blow over.  Actually, Brando owed himself three pints.  Three Dzu-teh kills.  Three pints.  He nodded to himself with shameful approval.  What did concern Brando, however, was if their friend was still alive.  If they were captured by Dzu-teh, chances were they had been beaten or eaten.  The least they could do is bring back their remains . .  .assuming there were any.  

 

"The twerp 'n I volunteer to, ah, escort these noobs down the mountain. Whaddya say?"

 

Brando stepped in.  "We'll find the friend too, ya?  Oh and Melethil.  Thanks for the mana."

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Girasol

 

The rest of the guild had been squabbling over the bones and carcasses of the Dzu-Tehs, trying to get whatever loot they could. Like seagulls over dropped fries at the beach. Pitiful. Girasol had no need to join the fray: she had a very specific crafting recipe in mind, and the items required for that which she had acquired so far were secured in her inventory. Scalptaker was good in a pinch, but she was hoping to make a sidearm to rival Kybele in its efficiency in dispatching enemies. Girasol hated to admit it, but once quarters got close, she was more of a burden than a boon in a fight.

 

After bumping into Melethil, she expected him to at least apologize for getting in her way, but the diminutive cleric only squeaked an apology and scurried off. She frowned. Something always felt… off about him. She got the distinct feeling that Melethil wasn’t telling the full story, somehow. His interactions with her always felt stifled and curt, as if there was a deliberately-drawn line he wasn’t going to cross.

 

No matter. As she was still within a few meters of Cass, Girasol could see the guild leader take Brando aside, the two engaged in hushed conversation. Although the faun couldn’t hear any specifics, she knew by Brando’s actions and Cass’ typical protocol that the latter wasn’t pleased with the former’s actions. To be honest, Girasol didn’t see what the big deal was: he had simply made the best of a tricky situation, and if the others couldn’t get out of the way… too bad? Although that maybe was just the sniper side of her talking. Keep a long distance from problems and all.

 

When the pair split apart, the sniper thus carefully sauntered over to interject herself between the two, sizing up the dwarf with a disaffected expression that nevertheless harbored a faint smile. “In that case, if you care to redeem yourself, follow me. A spotter would always be nice.” Her eyes flicked up towards the northern ridge, in the general direction of where it was indicated they were moving next. Might as well get a jump on things, after all… if only to show up Reebus. Damn cat.

 

She started to walk off, expecting Brando to follow. “We’re moving, Cass.” Even though she really didn’t want to, alerting the leader of where you were going in such hostile environs was probably a good idea.

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Brando

 

He was suddenly engulfed in shadow, as Girasol approached.  "Aye.  Nice shootin' back there, Gir--er.  Hehe.  What can I do ya for?"

 

Brando made an effort to not be on bad terms with anyone in the guild.  Though, from the look on Girasol's face, she wasn't exactly excited to see him.  Then, fortunate for Brando's spirit, her lips curled into a faint, if forced smile.  At least she too was making an effort; this was good.  

 

“In that case, if you care to redeem yourself, follow me. A spotter would always be nice.”

 

"Eh?  Oh, ya mean with their friend?  You got it.  I'll gladly take point."

 

Brando noticed Girasol's eyes jump to the north.  That was probably the best place to start.  He didn't have Girasol's field of vision, so it was safer to trust her judgment.  

 

“We’re moving, Cass.”

 

"Aye.  Cass, we're gonna start on that search.  Be back soon."  Following beside Girasol, Brando thought carefully.  Would it be too awkward to try and stir conversation with Girasol?  Maybe if he touched on topics that would interest her. . . 

 

"How's your weapons lookin'?  If you're needin' repairs, I'm pretty handy," he said with a sudden huff of confidence.  "Soon as we get down from this big snowy rock, I'll get yer gear ripe and ready.  Whaddya say?"

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"The twerp 'n I volunteer to, ah, escort these noobs down the mountain. Whaddya say?"

 

Cass shook her head. As much as she would like to make sure that Kirin was safe, she couldn't send the guild's tank and healer down the mountain while the rest went in search of more trouble. It was illogical. They could spare, Chloé, maybe, or Do'jhera, but Cass wasn't sure either one of them was experienced enough to handle any problems that might arise during the descent. No, it was best if the guild just stayed together and then returned for Kirin when they were done searching. 

 

"The guild can't spare you. We'll be moving out soon anyway. Kirin should be safe here for the time being." Besides, Cass suspected that they had alternative motives for being so altruistic, more than likely trying to make a few quick crescents.

 

"Cass?" Do'jhera nervously interrupted, "Sorry to interrupt, but Kirin told me something I think you should know." Cass nodded, listening intently to what the duelist had to say. He relayed to her the possible location of Kirin's friend, the cave that they had been running passed at the time. "She doesn't remember exactly where it is, unfortunately, but I figured it was...something."

 

"No, no, this is great. Good work, Do'jhera, we just need to find this cave. It's a start, at least." The guild leader clapped the khepura on the shoulder, hoping he started to find some semblance of confidence. "Perhaps Girasol and Brando will stumble across something helpful in their initial sweep." She said, thinking aloud. Time was ticking down, the longer they waited to move the more likely that the last member of the party was dead. Truth be told, she probably already was, but Cass refused to give up without trying to find her first. 

 

"I might be able to help with that, actually." Chloé approached with a rather bushy squirrel perched on her shoulder. The Beast Master practically floated over the deep snow that kept piling up, making Cass envious for the robes she wore. This storm was getting rather tiresome and the snow had more than soaked through her cloak by now. The young blonde didn't see much worse for the wear, however.

 

"I guess it pays to be a Disney Princess after all." Cass said, making a lighthearted jab at the girl. 

 

Cq6S3xT.png

 

After reassuring Kirin one last time that they would be back soon, the guild set off into the Northern Wilds with Chloé taking the lead. They had a general idea of where the cave they were looking for was, thanks to the information Chloé had coaxed out of the resident woodland critters. However, if the storm had been a problem before, it was only more so now as the guild tried to navigate the thick woods in the densely falling snow. Cass kept a close eye on her health bar, she had heard stories of players that had frozen to death in the Adralian Mountains and she suspected it wouldn't be long before they started to notice some adverse affects by the weather. 

 

"Aye!! Over 'ere! We found somethin'!" The unmistakable voice of Brando boomed through the trees. It took the lot of them several minutes before they were finally able to break through the dense foliage and find the dwarf and faun in a small alcove amongst the towering pinewoods. 

 

For a moment, the entire guild was stunned into silence. In the small clearing was a Dzu-teh, but it was unmistakably dead. The shocking part of the scene was the jagged spire of ice that encased nearly half of its body. The creature's long arms hung limp at its sides, its body propped up at an angle and neatly preserved by the crystalline structure. Its eyes were wide and its mouth agape, frozen in a perpetual look of terror. 

 

"What did this?" Cass asked out loud. It couldn't have been the temperature, could it? There was no way, not even a sudden dip in temperature could have frozen the creature like this. 

 

"Not sure 'bout that, but it gets weirder." The dwarf placed a bundle of dynamite on the frozen Dzu-teh. Remembering his and Cass' earlier conversation, he warned the guild to take a few steps back before detonating the explosive. When the smoke cleared, one of the Dzu-teh's arms was missing, but the ice didn't even have a scratch. 

 

Cass brought up her HUD, selecting the ice that encased the Dzu-teh. "Immutable Ice." She read aloud. That was all the information she could gather. It was listed as a crafting material, but if an explosion couldn't break it she wasn't sure how they were supposed to get it into small enough pieces to put into their inventory. 

 

"Yes, yes, very interesting but we're wasting time. Shouldn't we get a meow-ve on?" Reebus seemed relatively unimpressed by the whole discovery, of course, that was how he usually looked. He was also right, though Cass suspected he was probably more bored than concerned for the wellbeing of others. 

 

"Reebus is right, but everyone keep an eye out." With a final look at the ominous scene, Ithaca continued their trek through the wilds. 

 

Conversation between the guildmates was halting. Finding the cave was proving to be more difficult than they had imagined and the cold continued to eat away at them. They stopped a couple of times for Chloé to work her magic, they were forced to circle back more than once. They tried to stay close to the evident path that the Dzu-teh had left crashing through the forest in the pursuit of Epik and Kirin, but there were multiple instances where the terrain had made it impossible for the group to follow.

 

With each passing minute, Cass became more disheartened. It was entirely possible for them to search and never find what they were looking for. She was beginning to wonder if it was maybe time to call it quits. 

 

"There it is!" Chloé squeaked in excitement, pointing through the thinning trees. As Cass moved closer, she could just make out what appeared to be a cave. It wasn't a named location on the map, but it was the only promising sign they had seen so far. She gave the Beast Master a heartfelt smile, but motioned for her to be quiet. She was still on edge from what the guild had seen earlier. 

 

She was right to be apprehensive, because littered around the cave were other Dzu-teh, each of them having met a similar fate to their compatriot that Girasol and Brando had found earlier. It was a chilling sight, and it had nothing to do with the flurry of snow that whipped about the guild's faces. 

 

Cass found herself relying on Girasol again to spot anything through the falling snow. She knew that the Marksman's goggles were made for weather just like this. The rest of them would have trouble seeing very far in the blizzard, but Cass was hoping she'd spot something. "I thought she'd for sure be dead." Girasol stated bluntly. Cass couldn't help but smile incredulously. 

 

"You mean she's alive?" 

 

"That's what I just said. She's in the mouth of the cave. She looks horrible." 

 

There was no way that she would be able to see the guild from where they were hidden in the tree line, they would have to go and get her. Cass was hesitant to leave the safety of their cover, however. Clearly, she was afraid to leave the cave and something was strong enough to do those Dzu-teh in.

 

"Easy enough then. Jus' gotta run in an' grab her before anyone 'as anything to say about it." Brando said, pushing his way against the wind.

 

"Brando, no-"  Cass hissed, but it was too late. The dwarf had already revealed himself. A snowbank near the forest opposite the guild moved slightly. The sound of cracking ice filled the air, and in an explosion of white, a crystalline giant emerged from beneath a drift of snow under which it had been sleeping. Its dull expression quickly turned to one of anger as it zoned in on the sight of Brando. 

 

It straightened its back, again the sound of cracking ice. Cass felt her stomach hit her ankles as she took in the size of the creature. They had quite literally woken a sleeping giant. 


[spoiler=OoC]

Here we go again! This time around combat isn't going to be so independent, we have one opponent, so you will have more of a chance to play as a team. This battle should last a few more rounds than the last one. I'm very happy with the pace we have been keeping, in fact you have all been doing a better job than me so, thank you for keeping me on my toes. 

 

[spoiler=Bane of Adrale]

[image]

"It is said that amongst the original council of Adrale sat a powerful warlock. However, soon after the Haven's founding he was banished for illegal mystical practices. To get revenge on the city, he crafted a massive golem with the sole purpose of destroying Adrale. To this day, the golem still roams the Adralian Mountains and from time to time finds its way back to Adrale to wreak havoc like its creator intended." 

Level: 65

The Bane of Adrale is nearly 25 feet tall and is made of magically enhanced ice. It boasts extraordinarily high offensive and defensive stats and is able to tank a number of attacks before it tries to retreat. In addition to being able to just crush its opponents, the Bane of Adrale has several ranged attacks. It is able to fire a blast of super-chilled air from its mouth, freezing opponents in Immutable Ice. Immutable Ice can prove difficult to add to one's inventory, but does eventually melt over time or can be broken if a player's level is higher than the Bane of Adrale's. It can also slam the ground to send a powerful shockwave through the earth, knocking most opponents off their feet, stunning them and possibly disarming them. 

 

Fire-based attacks do 20% more damage. Ice-based attacks do 40% less damage. Non-magical ranged attacks do 15% less damage. 

 

 

 

Feel free to take minor control of the Bane of Adrale. You know have it launch some attacks. Launch some attacks yourself. Don't have it take too much damage, but you can definitely hit it. It is definitely strong enough to tank damage. Obviously don't kill it. 

 

I know I covered a lot of ground in this post, but I figured it was necessary to get us to a nice place to post. Also, a big thank you to everyone that gave me control of their characters for this post!!

 

 

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RVKKYVe.jpg

 

Xvignette_zps578dff7a.png

 

"No, no, this is great. Good work, Do'jhera, we just need to find this cave. It's a start, at least."

 

Do'jhera smiled a little, feeling Cass clap his shoulder some. He was doing something right at this point...it did start to build up a little bit of confidence in himself, so he did feel a little better from this experience.

 

If only the feeling would've lasted a bit longer...

 

As they headed in the direction of where Kirin had mentioned, or at least attempted to mention and recall, the guild found what had seemed to be the mouth of a cave with the player character seeming banged up...but why? was it the Dzu-teh??

 

"Easy enough then. Jus' gotta run in an' grab her before anyone 'as anything to say about it."

"Brando, no-"

 

Do'jhera was shocked to see what appeared after Brando ran out there. His HUD said the creature was [bane of Adrale] and it was Level 65. The Khepura gulped a bit, feeling himself shake again. However, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment...trying to calm down...to think...

 

Xvignette_zps578dff7a.png

 

Do'jhera finally leapt from his position, quickly casting Duelist Fighting Spirit on himself. His paws went straight for the hilts of his blades, pulling them out quickly. With a great roar, he jumped into the air.

 

-BGM-

 

As he jumped, Do'jhera performed Predator Pounce and landed onto the Bane. He started swinging his blades at the creature, not expecting to kill it, but the pounce itself did have an area of effect of it, so it would do a bit of damage when he landed on it. Continuing to strike at it, he finally used the Bane's face a springboard and safely landed on his feet, as cats do.

 

The Bane looked pissed, as it roared towards the Khepura.

 

"Alright! Twin Blade Revolver!" Do'jhera said, performing his Twin Blade Revolver ability, beginning to spin and become a bladed tornado as it was striking at the creature's legs. His Swift Strike passive was definitely allowing him to strike quicker with this and he knew he was doing a pretty good amount of damage. Finally, he stopped and watched the Bane swinging down at him.

 

"I don't think so!" he said, performing a Dodge Roll, before backing away with a smirk.

 

Xvignette_zps578dff7a.png

 

....yeah...yeah that would be how he'd do this. Do'jhera finally opened his eyes after imagining his plan of attack. He'd do it just like he did in his head. He'd be able to show them that he was able to do this and...and...

 

The Bane of Adrale let loose a loud roar and it caused Do'jhera to shake again. He was going to do this amazing plan...but now all he could think of was how the hell they were going to beat this creature. His plan had left...along with the small amount of courage he was gaining in that moment.

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TFZyloJ.jpg


 


Ithaca had finally made it through the blizzard, to some unknown part of their maps.  Reebus wondered if the thought had previously wandered through anybody else's mind, but this certainly was suspicious.  Yet, no one was treading as carefully as he was.  Fools...the lot of them


 


"I thought she'd for sure be dead."


 


"You mean she's alive?" 


 


"That's what I just said. She's in the mouth of the cave. She looks horrible."


 


Reebus smirked at the revelation.  He thought for sure that this was a lost cause...what purpose did NPC's have in taking someone to a different locale, and then leave them stranded?  Unless...what if it wasn't NPC's that took her...what if the deceiver's had this all planned out?  Reebus scratched his chin...if they thought that far ahead, the leader of that organization must have been of high-level strategic intellect.  This was definitely a trap now...there was no doubt about that.  


 


"Easy enough then. Jus' gotta run in an' grab her before anyone 'as anything to say about it." 


 


"Brando, no-" 


 


Reebus' stomach sank to the pit of his being once he saw that Dwarf take off.  


 


"YOU IMBECILE!!!!!!!"  Reebus roared at the top of his lungs, as he lost his footing due to the shifting ice around them.  Brando had drawn aggro...but from what?  Reebus' head panned up to witness a giant rise above them, his shadow ever present in this snowstorm.  On his HUD, in big letters, spelled the Giant's name.  Bane of Adrale.  Reebus couldn't help but chuckle, as his knees buckled.  He covered his mask with a paw, and started to burst into laughter.  "Y-You complete and u-utter bafoon...you've doomed us all..."  He honestly thought that he would never die in this game...that if he mastered the in game mechanics of casting, that he was invincible.  But now, staring down a level 65 monster with this band of idiots...he might as well just write his effigy now.  He thought about running...leaving the rest of them to die here...after all, they were the one's who had gotten him into this mess.  However, he surely wouldn't make it out alive of here by himself...not too mention his reputation would be trashed!  Reebus the deserter...fled from a fight to let his guild die.  


 


No.  It would just not do.  He was Reebus:


 


the Triumphant!  


 


Wiping a tear that had rolled down his face from underneath his mask, Reebus firmly planted himself into the icy ground beneath him.  


 


"Spirits of fire and flame...ignite the embers of my soul and take command of my being!  My essence!  My Soul!  SPIRIT FLAME!"  A cloak of fire began to envelop Reebus, as the blizzard retreated from his location, evaporating in the air, fretful to wander closer.  Reebus gathered the life like fire in his hand, before launching it at Bane.  It would be hard to miss, but the flame danced through the air as if it had a mind of it's own!  It made contact with Bane, causing it to groan in annoyance.  Tiny flames flickered where it was struck, as the Spirit Burn debuff started to take effect, chipping off minuscule ticks of health.  "Tch..." Reebus spat.  He needed more firepower, but the beast's eyes were set on him now!  Bane started to arch his back, and raise his arms, prompting to use a shock wave-esque attack no doubt.  He looked to the tanks of Ithaca, and shouted at the top of his lungs.  


 


"WELL WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?!  HOLD THE LINE!"  While yelling, he simultaneously cast another instance of Spirit Flame, that collided with Bane's arm.


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As Brando foolishly put his fellow guildmates into yet another mess, he chuckled, as the ground rumbled at his feet.  "Heh.  Whoops," he said, nervously.  From beneath the frozen ground, a monster of gigantic proportions arose.  His slumber disturbed by Brando's short and stubby footsteps.  He took a few steps back, as he was unaware of the berating he was receiving from Reebus.  He had suddenly become deaf to his surroundings as the giant's very presence made him go numb for just a moment.  Brando's smile quickly faded, turning into a frown as he cautiously analyzed the giant ice-born creature.  A golem, known only as "the Bane of Adrale".

 

It was quite a sight, made of nearly indestructible ice, and having an impossibly large hitpoint pool.  It was a level sixty-five monster, with extreme attack power and equally staggering defensive power.  Brando shook his head, sighing.  There was no way he could damage the creature from this range, obviously.  The only way to make up for his mistake, was to get in close, and put his life at great risk.  Nothing he hadn't done before.

 

Thankfully his health pool was also moderately adequate.  Still, he doubted he wouldn't be literally crushed by this giant, if he wasn't precise in his movements.  "Alrighty then," he said, looking to "the Bane's" legs.  Indestructible ice or not, if he took the time to heat up the big bastard's knees, Brando was sure he could shave off a few points of it's hitpoints.  "The bigger they are.  Cass," Brando said turning to his guild leader.  "I'm gonna break my promise.  One more bloody time.  'n if I die," he said taking a bundle of dynamite from his pocket.  "Don't cha dare chase after me."

 

He was already in the thick of it.  He may as well do something about his royal screw-up.  "Lighting the way.  NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Brando roared, two bundles of explosives in his right hand.  His short-term goal?  To scale "the Bane of Adrale".  His target?  It's knees.  His long-term goal?  To bring the big stiff tumbling down.  Brando called back over his shoulder.  "Don't be standin' there when 'e falls!"  Brando withdrew his pickaxe with his left hand, and ripped scarf from his clothes as he charged towards "the Bane".  He was going to dig into this monster, Dwarf style.

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Stacks4Daze

 

Cass shook her head in response to Stacks's proposal. "The guild can't spare you. We'll be moving out soon anyway. Kirin should be safe here for the time being."

 

Stacks shrugged in response. "You're the boss."

 

She then walked over to Melethil, who was so close to the fire she was practically hugging it. "Bad news kid, we're stickin' with the group." Stacks could then hear the group getting read to move out once again. "Anyways, looks like we're movin' on, time to ditch the fire." Getting Melethil to leave the fire and warmth was a difficult task, and eventually Stacks was carrying the sniffling child by the back of his shirt as they trudged through the snow and down the path.

 

x393wz.jpg

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2U6wo9iOg8

 

The hike didn't get any better. The mountain air only got colder around them, and soon Stacks was shivering just as much as Melethil was as the group trudged on. The landscape was bleak, and it felt like forever until Brando and Girasol had found something. Breaking into a clearing, the group found a Dzu-Teh, skewered through the chest by a big spike of ice. Brando attempted to blow up the ice, but the only thing that was destroyed was the dead Dzu-Teh.

 

"Immutable Ice." Cass muttered as she checked over the ice. Stacks kept her eyes fixed on the dead creature's body.

 

"I don't think enemies just up and attack each other like this," Stacks muttered, looking around. The only ones out in the snow here was their own group, and judging by the levels of the party they ran across, Stacks doubted the third was going to be high enough level to do something like this.

 

"Yes, yes, very interesting but we're wasting time. Shouldn't we get a meow-ve on?" Reebus's voice cut through, impatient to probably get to someplace reasonably warmer.

 

"funking roleplayers... not an actual cat..." Stacks muttered quietly under her breath, only loud enough for anyone right beside her to hear it.

 

"Reebus is right, but everyone keep an eye out." Cass ordered, Stacks nodded quietly and continued to keep her eyes peeled. Nothing about that dead Dzu-Teh looked like it had been yesterday, or the day before. Somebody else had to be out here. But was it a party, or was it somebody out on their own; and if it was somebody out on their own, who was making the trek into these mountains alone? Nothing about this felt right.

 

The hunt for the cave took a bit longer, Stacks being the more vocally impatient one with her complaints of the weather with each circle-back they had to do. With each second, the resident paladin grew more and more frustrated, now resorting to swinging her sword around for what fleeting warmth the flames it left trailing would provide.

 

"There it is!" Chloe cried out, triumphantly. Everyone perked up to see what they were looking for.

 

Just outside the cave's mouth there were many more Dzu-Teh, each that had met the same fate as the one they had found earlier. The group looked around the cave for the survivor, while Stacks found herself distracted by the permanent ice. The cave might have been a home or hovel for the Dzu-Teh, and more of them meeting the same fate meant that whatever it was that did this must still be-

 

There was a loud explosion nearby, and sleeping underneath a snowbank a large, ice giant woke up. Stacks quickly checked her HUD and saw the level: 65.

 

"Sonuva jabroni." 

 

x393wz.jpg

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezCzhk0AFxM

 

"MELETHIL KEEP AN EYE ON ME!" Stacks shouted, charging in with her sword drawn and shield at the ready. Whatever this creature was, it must have been what did those Dzu-Teh in. If it did Ice damage, then Stacks's Sunmail was off the table. If something of that high level did an ice attack while Stacks had her Sunmail on, it would mean certain death. She was already at a disadvantage to this kind of creature thanks to her gear and specs, but she had a job she needed to do.

 

Stacks was quick to plant a Sunwall directly underneath the Bane; she needed to do what she could to keep the DPS up while keeping at a distance. At the same time, she spotted Brando running in as well, going for the legs with his pick-axe. To help him out, Stacks cast Sunflare where Brando was, keeping the Bane inside the area of effect as well. Hopefully the defense bonus it granted was enough to save him if he gets hit by any attack. Unfortunately, she was down to half of her mana pool already, and she would have a brief period of time between each spell before she could cast them again. Following Brando's lead, Stacks got closer and began to attack its legs with her sword.

 

The Bane roared, and raised its leg closest to Stacks, bringing it down hard. Stacks dove out of the wave, a large crash booming behind her, the ground shaking from the impact. Even as Stacks had dove out of the wave, the shockwave managed to toss her off the ground several feet, stunning her in the process.

 

"Son...uva... jabroni!!" Stacks yelled, her ears ringing and head rattling from the shockwave that the giant had sent out. Even though she was vulnerable, she was thankful for her allies keeping its attention diverted enough for her stun debuff to run out, and give her chance to get back up before the giant decided to squash her.

 

"WELL WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?!  HOLD THE LINE!" Reebus called out, intended not for Stacks, but to her it seemed to be directed.

 

"SHUT THE funk UP AND DO YOUR JOB, REEBUS," Stacks yelled back, running forward to try and keep the monster from attacking any of her allies.

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Watching the scene unfold, Cass could see each and every one of her guildmates dying, and it had nothing to do with her clairvoyant abilities. She had led them to their deaths, all because of some self-righteous inclination. Brando. Reebus. Do'jhera. Stacks. Chloé. They would die. Lichiethro. Girasol. Melethil. Abigail. Cass was suddenly shook out of whatever stupor she had fallen into. Grinding her teeth she let out some sound between a scream and growl. She refused to let the fear get the better of her. 

 

"Cass I'm gonna break my promise.  One more bloody time.  'n if I die don't cha dare chase after me." Brando charged off towards the monstrosity, looking laughably diminutive in front of the towering Bane. Cass didn't know whether she should scream at the dwarf or applaud his bravery. However, she did know that she didn't take orders from him.

 

"WELL WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?!  HOLD THE LINE!" Cass ran right passed her lieutenant, leaving the safety of the trees, hot in pursuit of the dwarf. She had already witnessed Stacks get knocked flat by the monster's seismic attack, and judging from its raised fists, another was on its way. 

 

Charging her <Telekinetic Pull> ability, Cass waited for the moment right before the fists were about to make impact before latching onto the Bane's bicep. It was much too large of a target for her to be able to pull down, but the Bane was more than sturdy enough to use as a grappling point. Feeling the shockwave ripple across the ground beneath her feet, Cass flew through the air, pulled by the invisible energy connected to the golem's massive arm. Landing quite roughly on the giant's arm, she had to scrabble to find a hold. She cursed herself, of course a giant made out of ice would be slippery. 

 

A fall from this height would not be fun, Cass figured she'd survive it, but it wasn't exactly something she wasn't to experience. Slamming her fists, accompanied with <Telekinetic Push>, into the Bane's shoulder Cass dug out a couple of divots into the smooth surface for her to hold onto. It wasn't ideal, but it would do. From up here she would have to expend less mana and stamina and deal more damage to the Bane. 

 

"Hey Brando!" Cass called down, unsure if the dwarf could hear her. "If I die, don't chase after me!" 

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"I guess it pays to be a Disney Princess, after all," Cass teased, making a lighthearted jab at the girl.

 

Chloé smiled shyly, stroking the bushy-tailed squirrel perched on her shoulder. Although her cheeks were still flushed bright pink with embarrassment from earlier, she was grateful to the guild leader for her words of praise. Somehow, Cass always knew exactly what to say to keep the group's morale high, even in the most stressful situations. The Oracle was firm when she needed to be, but her remarks never crossed the line into unkindness, unlike those of a certain hairless cat...

 

"I'll lead the way. Follow me!"

 

Finally, a chance to be useful to the guild!

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Almost an hour later, however, Chloé wondered if she had spoken too soon. The group had managed to stumble upon another Dzu-teh, frozen to death within a mysterious icy prison—since then, however, the trail had gone, well, cold. No pun intended. The squirrel she had charmed seemed very eager to help the group find the cave, and no doubt it was doing its best... but then again, squirrels weren't exactly known for their sense of direction. Or their attention span.

 

"See that tree? Do you see it? Well, do you?! That's where I stored a whole stash of acorns a year ago! Wait, maybe it was two years ago! Yeah! Right there, between the fourth and the fifth branches! Unless it was between the fifth and the sixth branches! Anyway, acorns are my favorite, they're really—"

 

"That's lovely," Chloé replied, nodding along patiently. "But, as for the cave...?"

 

The worsening blizzard certainly wasn't improving matters, greatly reducing the team's visibility and slowing their advance through the snow-covered forest. While the girl was unaffected by the cold, it was only a matter of time before the others started complaining.

 

And then, suddenly, through a gap in the trees...

 

"There it is!"

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BGM

 

Unfortunately, the guild's relief was short-lived. Before they could even savor their victory, a new foe emerged from a nearby snowdrift, revealing itself to be a massive crystalline giant, its entire body carved from glistening deep-blue ice. The Bane of Adrale.

 

Chloé gasped, her eyes widening in horror, even as her teammates leaped into action around her, determined not to go down without a fight. Oh, she had heard the legends. It was impossible not to, once you spent enough time in the Haven of Adrale. But seeing it with her own eyes, here, now... How could they possibly hope to defeat it?

 

There was only one way to find out.

 

"Contract Summoning! Come forth, Heljä!"

 

A frenzy of streaming blue silk, a billowing cloud of smoke, and once more, the glacial ice bear stood at her side, snarling in the direction of the advancing monstrosity.

 

"Heljä, dear, I hope you're still in the mood to fight!" Chloé cried, leaping astride the beast, settling behind its shoulders. After what happened earlier with the Dzu-teh, she had no intention of letting her friend fight alone. They were stronger together. Using her knees to keep her balance, the girl quickly murmured another spell, tying her ribbon into a series of interlocking coils, forming a make-shift pair of reins to help guide her mount—and reduce her own chances of getting thrown off.

 

"Finally, a worthy foe!" Heljä growled, her eyes narrowing in anticipation. "Hold on tight, little one!"

 

The she-bear charged with a savage roar, the diminutive blonde on her back leaning forwards as they headed towards Stacks, Brando, and Cass, already locked in battle. At a twitch of her mistress' reins, Heljä changed course and swung around in a wide loop, opting to attack the giant from behind, aiming for its tendons.

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Stacks was right where she needed to be, in the center of the battle.  She drew the giant's attention, as it attempted to crush her.  She narrowly avoided its attack, but was toppled by the shock-wave unleashed by the giant's step.  Brando too was tossed backwards, rolling into a bank of snow near the giant's opposite foot.  However, that was exactly where he needed to go.  Shaking the snow from his red hair and beard, he stabbed his pick into "the Bane's" foot, and began to climb.  

 

"YAH!  THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Brando called to Stacks, who he was quietly praying for in the back of his mind -- in the back of Macy's mind.  Then, Brando felt "the Bane" shake, his attention suddenly settling on Cass.  "Cass!?"  Who did he think he was giving the guild leader orders?  A sassy dwarf, that's who.  "Cass, ya nutter!"  Wait.  Shouldn't that have been her line?

 

Using her telekinetic pull, Cass found her way to "the Bane's" enormous arms, cautiously balancing on its icy surface.

 

"Hey Brando!"

 

"Eh!?"

 

"If I die, don't chase after me!" 

 

Brando smirked.  "That's my line!" he screamed over the howling wind and snow.  Brando dug his pick into another thick block of ice, when "the Bane" attempted to shake him loose.  Brando clung with both hands tightly to his pick.  From this height, even in the snow, a drop could be fatal.  "Damn ice cube!  Tryin' to brush me off!"  When the giant ceased his shaking, Brando resumed his climb, until he was approaching "the Bane's" ankle.  He'd shimmied around to the back of the monster's right foot, and was holding on with one hand, and a pack of dynamite in the other.  Maybe he couldn't destroy the ice.  But he could certainly chip it.  And that was all he needed.  

 

Brando hacked into "the Bane's" shin as best he could with his pickaxe, creating a sort of ledge with which he could settle his footing.  And now with a bit of cloth, some saliva, a freshly stricken match, and some good ol' Dwarven craftsmanship, Brando lit three bundles of dynamite, sticking them on the "ledge" he had created.  Lighting the bundle of dynamite, he began to climb down as quickly as he could.  However, Brando overestimated the amount of time he had on his fuse, and the explosion radius of three big bundles of dynamite.  As the first explosion went off, Brando was only half-way done with his climb down, and the blastwave shoved him off of "the Bane's" leg. 

 

He began to rapidly plummet to the ground.  Thankfully the fall wasn't at maximum height, as he fell into a lush pile of snow.  It was painful, none the less, and he had sacrificed a quarter of his own healthpool.  The second explosion followed, and Brando ducked.  His pickaxe was flung from the giant's leg, and passed narrowly over his head, nearly impaling him to death.  That was twice now that he had avoided death.  And the third explosion.  This one caught Brando off guard, as it grew in power thanks to Brando's "Three in a Row" skill.  But the results, from this distance, were unclear.  Had he done enough damage to create an opening against "the Bane"?  Or had he wasted his time and nearly gotten himself killed?  Again.

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Girasol

 

As Girasol and Brando had crested the hill, a sinking feeling had started to develop in the pit of her stomach. Fauns were naturally attuned to nature, and Girasol had specialized in darkness-related skills. Combined, it meant that she could almost smell death; but it was good that she couldn’t, because the copse would have reeked of it. It was Brando who saw it first, the Dzu-teh corpse impaled on a skewer of ice. Coils of dread tightened around the sniper’s midsection as she tried to block him off from checking it out, but he eluded her. She wasn’t going to yell at him on merely a suspicion. That wasn’t her thing.

 

As the rest of Ithaca arrived, a rustle of movement on the treelike had caught Girasol’s attention. She jabbed Cass in the side to get her attention, pointing the unmistakable figure of a PC hidden among the pines. (The “she looks horrible” comment was admittedly snide, but it wasn’t in her demeanor to care.)

 

And then Brando stepped forward, a level 65 (!?) monster burst from the ground, and all hell broke loose. As her teammates dashed forward, Girasol remembered the first rule of sniping: find the higher ground.

 

Her small cervine hooves weren’t the most well-suited to running or climbing, so doing them together—in snow, natch—meant that ascending the incline was just as easy as marching through waist-deep pudding. It was when Girasol was halfway up the slope that she stumbled, falling into the snow and almost hitting her head on Kybele in the recoil. Groaning a bit, she shook off the pain and reoriented herself to the battle below her. Before she moved rashly, it was advisable to scope the area: but even with her trained eyes, this was going to be difficult. Stacks and Reebus were whipping up fire, Brando was igniting dynamite (sending him into a snowdrift in the process - she wasn’t going to abandon her position to check on him)…

 

Fire. Explosives. Wait.

 

“I need more fire. I need more explosives. I need something, and fast!” She hollered down into the field of battle, spending one moment longer than she normally would to make sure everyone knew what the plan was. They were hopefully aware of Girasol’s skill that let her deal extra damage against fire-aligned enemies… or in this case, obstacles. Hunkering back down, Girasol squeezed off a Shadowbind. The bullet hit the bane, but it roared and flailed against her constraints, snapping them in an instant. She reeled back, the mental backlash almost causing her to vomit. What was she thinking, trying to use a holding skill against a beast almost twice her level?

 

’sheet.’ This wasn’t enough time. Sweat broke across the sniper’s brow as she held Kybele in place, her will against the demon. She felt her mana restore itself after her abortive procedure, hoping that everything would fall into place.

 


Hoping it would be enough.

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Fire. It reminded Melethil of home; of Xyra. Not because he knew any pyromaniacs back home or anything, though one of his former clients specialized in using it, but because of its warmth. He stayed close to the fire, though took care not to walk into it. As the healer, I don't think I could live with the irony of standing in fire myself. And how would I...I mean, Melethil react to that anyway? Best not to think about it. Setting oneself on fire just to figure that out wasn't a good idea either.

 

"Bad news kid, we're stickin' with the group."

 

Melethil could hear the sounds of everyone else getting ready to move on in their search. But then, sticking with the group meant...

 

"Anyways, looks like we're movin' on, time to ditch the fire."

 

"H-Huh?" Melethil was unusually stubborn about staying near the fire, and eventually found himself being dragged away by the back of his cloak by the team tank, away from the fire she'd created for him. "Noooo!" he cried out, reaching out for the fire as if it would somehow bring it to him.

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The hike had only gotten worse. Namely, the cold. Even Stacks seemed to be having some issues dealing with it. Melethil was ready to just flop over and die right there, but kept himself near the tank on the off-chance that she'd set something on fire to warm back up. If she did, he wanted to be right there when it happened. No such luck, it seemed. A cold little elf continued along the path of the hike. He was cold, his feet were uncomfortable because he wasn't used to wearing boots like this, and there probably wasn't any rare loot waiting for them at the end of all this. When I get my hands on those Deceivers... The venomous thoughts of the player behind Melethil were cut short, however, at the sight of a Dzu-Teh. A dead one, partially encased in ice.

 

That makes everything SO much better, Haruka sarcastically thought.

 

Brando's explosives weren't putting so much as a scratch on it. Just what was it?

 

"Immutable Ice."

 

"I don't think enemies just up and attack each other like this."

 

No sheet.

 

"Yes, yes, very interesting but we're wasting time. Shouldn't we get a meow-ve on?"

 

"funking roleplayers... not an actual cat..."

 

You think that's bad? I know a hotel in another game that makes Reebus look normal. Ugh...bad memories.

 

"Reebus is right, but everyone keep an eye out."

 

As the group continued onward, each keeping an eye out as Cass had ordered, it was Chloe who finally found the cave. And all the other Immutable Ice'd Dzu-Teh around it. However, it seemed the missing player was still alive! However, there was no time to celebrate. The guild was met with a new foe. A much greater one than a few lousy Dzu-Teh, both in size and level. The Bane of Adrale, awakened because Brando went in with no concern for danger. Clearly he wasn't familiar with how these kinds of things worked in MMOs.

 

"MELETHIL KEEP AN EYE ON ME!"

 

"G, Got it!" The shivering elf reached for his trusty staff, and pointed it toward Stacks as she rushed into the fight. To start, he threw down his usual combination of Power Word: Shield and Regenerate, before noticing Stacks was already starting to run herself dry on mana. Not good. I'll have to-- Haruka's thoughts were cut off as a few explosions came off from the Bane...along with Brando, who fell into the snow and lost himself some health. Not to mention everyone that could get into the frontlines was already up there. First order of business, throw down a Healing Circle where Chloe and her bear were. Next order of business, swing his staff to target Brando instead, and give him a Heal. Now Melethil could help Stacks with mana. Or he would have been able to, if Calm Mind didn't require him and the target to stay still and take no damage. Why the hell did I report that as a balance issue!?

 

Next-best thing then. Melethil cast Respite on the crew tank, and called out "SHOW HIM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF, STACKS!"


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Lichiethro let out a sigh as the tank returned, having his question completely ignored. "And this is why I hang out with the other squishies..." To be fair, the cleric seemed to be attracted to the fire like a moth. It didn't really matter - they had a job to do. Letting out a sigh, he continued onward, holding his lantern closely to him as the air around them got colder. Still, he decided to hang out with the duo, at least for the trip.
 

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The deeper they went, the colder it got. At this point, he had raised himself a set of bone armor just to block some of the harsh storm around him, although it wasn't all that effective. They had also not located the cave, or anything of note to speak of. Or at least, they hadn't until they found the Dzu'teh, imprisoned in ice. "What the..." He muttered under his breath as he approached the body, a glare of terror on its face. "Not sure 'bout that, but it gets weirder." Lich backed away from the frozen beast as Boom placed dynamite on it. The detonation had done little, only blowing away the arm of the Dzu'teh. There wasn't even a scratch left on the ice itself. "Immutable Ice." Lich nodded, knocking on the hard ice. "Yes, yes, very interesting but we're wasting time. Shouldn't we get a meow-ve on?" Lichiehtro could only very faintly hear Stacks mutter something, although he was almost completely positive exactly what she was saying. "Reebus is right, but everyone keep an eye out." Lichiethro scoffed. "Reebus being right? Now that's a surprise." Still, the dumb cat wasn't wrong either. Tapping one last time on the ice, he continued onward with his guildmates.
 
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Eventually they made it to their destination - an ominous, frozen cave. To add to the scenery were more Dzu'teh who had met the same faith as the one they had encountered earlier. Before he could even have a chance to examine the beasts, a loud explosion shook the cave to its core. Or so he thought. In reality, the shaking came from a monumental golem made of ice. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" He exclaimed, rushing to the back line of the group. He took a deep breath, pulling up his lantern. "IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN TAKE THIS MOTHERFUC​KER DOWN!" He yelled, although more so for himself than the others. Despite the direness of the situation, everyone seemed to spring into action. Lichiethro's lantern glowed as skeletal arms rose from the ground, reaching for the colossal enemy. However, as soon as any of the arms got a good grip on the icy beast, they were immediately torn off the ground like weeds in a garden. He grit his teeth, summoning a group specter.  Luckily, his attempt to bind the monster hadn't caught its attention. However, he felt absolutely helpless - none of his summons were going to be enough to even hurt this thing, and any of his offensive spells would barely scratch it. “I need more fire. I need more explosives. I need something, and fast!” He turned his head to the resident sniper. "Can't help ya, darling!" It was true, he himself had no fire-based abilities, although he could see what she was going for. Instead, he turned to Reebus. "How about you give the lovely lady some fire? Here, I'll even help ya." He shouted at the Shaman, just in case he hadn't heard the sniper's request. Just as he said he would, the necromancer fired a specter at Reebus, who would feel empowered as soon as the ghost entered his body.
 
He took a deep breath. There was no way around it - he would have to play support for now. Raising his lantern, he fired one of the specters onto the beast. Anyone paying attention to their HUD would see that the golem had been inflicted with the Cursed ailment. He took a deep breath, summoning another trio of specters. He prepared himself to curse the hulking monster as soon as the first one wore off. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do for now. "Damn it..." He hated the feeling of not being very helpful, but here wasn't much else he could do.
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Ithaca hammered away at the Bane, doing their best to chip away at the cyclopean giant; the Bane showed few signs of concern for the bees that did little more than sting it. It began to inhale, preparing to unleash a torrent of superchilled air upon the pesky insects. However, before it could, there was a sharp burning in the Bane's legs. The explosions that Brando had set off caused the golem to pause, but it did not buckle. Instead, it roared in anger. Shuddering slightly, the Bane swatted at one of its attackers.

 

Far above the rest of the guild, Cass hammered away at the crystalline construct, her telekinetic punches slowly chipping away at the Bane's health. However, the rapid movement caused by Brando's explosion and the subsequent swing of the monster's arm caused Cass to lose her precarious balance. The guild leader had, had enough foresight to push herself off of the back of the Adralian monstrosity instead of tumbling over the front, and risk getting stepped on, but that didn't soften the blow of the frozen ground below. Fortunately, as a human, she was less susceptible to fall damage, and a fall from 20 feet in the air wasn't fatal. However, she wasn't appreciative of the dip in her health. If the Bane got a good hit on her, she would be nothing but data. 

 

⚠ PRINCESS CHLOÉ IN IMMEDIATE DANGER 

 

The rendered image of Chloé and Heljä being hit directly by the heel of the Bane as it took a step backwards flashed across Cass' HUD. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she rocketed off the ground, throwing out a telekinetic line to the duo. The air hadn't completely returned to her lungs yet, but she couldn't spare a second. This is exactly how she used to feel as an EMT, in the thick of life and death, every second counted. 

 

Dragging the weighty Glacial Ice Bear away from the Bane of Adrale, the Beast Master and her charge just barely missed being flattened. Cass let out a heavy sigh of relief, the warning delivered per <Savior's Grace> disappeared. 

 

"What're you thinking?!" Cass demanded, "You're going to take out this thing by its ankles? It's made out of ice, Princess! Your claws aren't going to work on it.Cass was angry with the youthful blonde, not because she had screwed up but because she had very nearly lost her life. "Come on, Clo. You're smarter than that." 

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Reebus was glad to see that he was no longer the center of the big guy's attention, since all of his guildmate's had finally joined in the fray.  He was all  for the other's being stepped on, rather than himself after all.  Chloe was the one that was the least effective in this fight, so if she were to be mushed, at least it would be an easy burial.  Reebus snickered at the thought, but then brought himself back into the fight.  

 

“I need more fire. I need more explosives. I need something, and fast!”

 

Reebus smirked.  Fire he could do...fast was another story.  

 

"How about you give the lovely lady some fire? Here, I'll even help ya."

 

The resident necromancer had given the suggestion.  Reebus' ear's flicked annoyingly.  This boy was almost as useless as bear girl.  Maybe he should join in the endeavor of close quarters combat with Bane.  It was then that Reebus realized that one of Lichithero's ghouls was about to enter his body.  His ears lay flat, as he gave the boy an annoyed look.  This spell, while helpful in the support department, gave him the heebie-jeebies whenever it entered his avatar.  As it did so, Reebus shivered a tad.  

 

"I'll nyaver get used to that."  He groaned, before placing his palms a couple of inches away from each other.  "Spirits of Earth and Pyre...meld your forms together, so that I may gaze upon your glorious beings intertwined."  A spark lit in betwixt his hands, which started to slowly expand, making Reebus' palms inch further away from each other, as if to give the growing ball of flame room to breathe.  "Let those whom mock you separately, bask in the destruction that you bring forthwith as one!"  The sphere had gained more mass, as Reebus' chant kept on going.  He eventually raised an enormous ball of molten rock above his head, flames dancing all around it.  This was one of Reebus' most powerful spells in his entire arsenal, but it definitely was a killer in the mana and cast time department.  "Just...a little...longer...and...YES!"  He finally swung his palms down through the air, sending the massive magma ball at Bane.  

 

"THIS IS IT!  <Magma Sphere>!"  He roared, as the giant ball of fire clashed against the Bane's chest, causing a massive explosion of earth and fire to envelop the ice giant.  Reebus basked in the glow of the fire, as he could feel the hot air rush around.  "My magnyam opuss...beautiful...isn't it."  He could almost cry.  

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