Kai’s Letter to Yugao
By Pippa Bushell
My Dear Yugao,
I have little time to update you as again. We find ourselves once more on the verge of Gauntlet combat. We have discovered some information of vital importance to the Order. This must be passed to those in command as soon as possible, and a decision taken on how we are to proceed with our current mission. As the Isle of Marr is strange and it seems that time is different here, this missive may reach you far too late to be of any use to us, but at least may provide insight to the order. Following the successful completion of our mission to attain the crystals of power, which resulted in the fall of the island that floated above Marr and on which they were held, our ragged band of survivors (minus Vallen) found ourselves in an underground cavern, seemingly dedicated to the elementals.
After Marcus undergoing a similar resurrection as that encountered by Adoril at the temple of the Firebloods, I felt that it would be beneficial to try and attain an elemental alignment myself, and seeking such, I made great haste towards the tunnel that I felt was most likely to be that of the air element. Alas, the tunnel was unstable and collapsed before I reached the end. I sadly report that during our excavation attempts, Tavin, Marcus, and I discovered a severed right arm that appears to have belonged to Vallen, along with a metallic boot that could be from the Mecha-Pirate India (long story). Determined to find our fallen colleague, whether dead or alive, the excavation continued until the instability caused a chasm to open onto a ramp beneath us, tumbling the three of us down and neatly burying us in the process. Thankfully, the rubble was loose, and after reducing my size and an uncomfortable amount of wriggling and writhing, I managed to free myself and assist the others in their escape. After checking the fallen debris, we determined that there would be no easy way to clear it and return to the tunnel above, so we would have to investigate our surroundings to find an alternative escape.
We found ourselves in a room with a strange orb, made of glowing hexagons on a dais in the centre and a portal doorway in each of the four walls. The doorways each led to a different environment: a forge, a forest, a library, and a vista of sand with a violet sky. Seeing a trail of blood, as though someone had been dragged, leading to the forge door, we quickly decided to enter in the hopes of finding a wounded Vallen. The forge was huge and full of parts of similar nature to those of the automatons on the Marr. Following the blood trail as it continued across the forge, we encountered many automatons, busy constructing others of their kind but none of them would respond to our queries, nor even acknowledge our presence. At the end of the trail we found a large table covered in a considerable amount of blood, various machine parts and a severed leg, apparently that of our fallen comrade. A trail of more bloody prints led away from the table and out of the forge, and we swiftly followed, with Marcus bringing Vallen’s severed leg and arm along with him. Perhaps some entity of this realm was attempting to heal the Elven Mage, and we felt sure that Vallen would be thankful at having his limbs returned to assist in this task. Upon exiting the forge, we were faced with the view of a vast and endless city built of the same clockwork machinery as the forge. Automatons everywhere, scurrying about their incomprehensible tasks and none responding to our entreaties for help. It became clear that without a further trail to follow and with no answer to our echoing shouts, that finding Vallen amongst this huge place was a futile task. So, with heavy hearts we returned to the portal doorway.
We determined to try the library portal next, hoping to locate some information that would help us in our quests. We entered a section of this enormous building, filled with shelves of books that Marcus told us were on the topic of nautical navigation. I realised as he said this that when I had glanced at the books, I too had known their contents, despite my inability to read. It became clear that this was no ordinary book repository, a fact that was confirmed when we entered a large open hall of shelves, reaching so high that is tested even my Errow far-sight. In the centre of this room was a large and ancient looking tome, hovering in the air with the text floating in turn, a few inches from its pages. Of course, Marcus tried to take the book and received a warning from figure that suddenly appeared to put the book back. This unassuming figure was revealed to be a librarian of sorts who verified that the book was being read by another patron, a blue-grey figure with long tentacles coming from his mouth, levitating some 20 to 30 feet from where we stood. Oh yeah, nothing strange here. The librarian also confirmed that no books could be removed from the library, much to our disdain. We each told the librarian the topics that interested us and were directed where to find them. Marcus began climbing the shelves to find books on curse removal, and I wandered off to locate those on portals and the Isle of Marr, whilst Tavin tried to engage the squid-head guy in some sort of conversation. I was looking through the books that the librarian had directed me to, when the squid guy approached. I assumed that he had tired of speaking with Tavin or had been scared off by his voice. He very nicely offered to help me locate the books I needed. Typically, of course they were right behind me, but as I turned to look, I felt a sharp pain in my head, causing me to cry out before everything went black.
Ok, Important information Part 1: Blue-grey squid-head guys are not to be trusted. Perhaps it is not totally urgent for this to be given to the Silver Order, but I suggest in the strongest terms that you take note for your own future safety.
I woke up with the worst headache of my life. Tavin told me that the squid-head guy had some sort of mind control ability, that it had tried to get him to do stuff, but he had resisted and Marcus had managed to freak it into leaving by falling off the shelves he was climbing, quite near to the creature. Tavin had then sought me out, fearing that the tentacled menace may have been trying its tricks on me. Sure enough, he had found the blasted monster snacking on my head. After a swiftly and skillfully thrown shield had it dislodged and spooked, he managed to heal me to a reasonable level, and we determined to gather the books we required as a group before returning to the main hall to read them together. We discovered that with some of the books, although we could read them regardless of our skill or language, we could not really comprehend their meaning. Other books however had a more efficacious result, planting the knowledge in our minds after a brief period of unconsciousness. It was in one of these states that I learned:
Important information Part 2: The Gauntlet was at one time entertainment for the Ancients. Since they departed Hauther, its current purpose and ownership are unknown. Again, this part is not so much for the Silver Order, but I think it is definitely in our interest to try and find out its current status.
Important Information Part 3: This is the really important one… maybe should have put it at number 1… anyway… The Blood Plague was created by the Ancients. They called it the “Parting Gift”, and it was used as a means of destroying any beings they may have created or left behind on each planet that they invade, once they have raped it of all the resources they require. They meant this for us. They meant for us to be destroyed long ago by this curse. The Isle of Marr was their base of operations, used to strip the magic from our world. As they left our realm, they attempted to activate the plague but for whatever reason were not successful. It was not until Cainon visited the island much later that the curse was unleashed upon us. We have long suspected that the being calling herself Uleene is of Ancient lineage, which means we cannot trust that her ultimate motive is to destroy the plague. It is more likely that she seeks to undo the initial mistake in its activation and bring about our demise more swiftly. With this knowledge in mind, I knew that we must try and return to Marr and ensure that the Order was informed.
Once we navigated our way out of the library and back to the main portal lobby, it seemed apparent that none of the current environments available would lead us back to the island. In frustration, I poked at the glowing orb and immediately the library disappeared and was replaced by a watery vista, held back by a wall of force. Tavin and Marcus, being able to survive in such an environment, left me in the orb room and went to investigate. I admit that it was in a very short time indeed that I began to find my situation tiresome and so, after using the blood on the floor to form an arrow, indicative of my direction, I headed into the forest portal. I found myself at the top of a large tower, overlooking a vast forest canopy. After deducing that there was no way for me to safely navigate my way down from the tower and for once determining that discretion would be the better part of valour in this situation, I once again returned to the orb room. It was not too long until my comrades returned from their watery adventure, telling me that there was an island not too far from the portal, which they determined to be the Isle of Marr, having found one of the prison cubes that were prevalent there. I was glad to hear that upon spying the huge 8-legged lizard captured within, they had left it well alone to return and try and find some way for me to travel through the water with them.
Now I am the first to admit that at this point trying to return through the water portal would have probably been the best way forward, however our collective curiosity (stupidity?) had us instead deciding to check out the only remaining portal first. Stepping through, we were welcomed by the sight of a long stone path, leading through a seemingly endless sand desert, to a tall tower in the far distance—a tower that was worryingly familiar, the very same tower that we encountered in our first venture into the Gauntlet. Hoping that perhaps by choosing to access this realm of our own volition, instead of the more usual forced circumstances, we may be able to learn more about its current owners and perhaps a link to the Ancients, we set out along the path. After traveling for a short while we noticed movement in the ground around us, and after witnessing a number of strange purple lizard creatures emerging from the sand and flying off into the sky, we quickly decided to stay firmly on the path, whilst trying at the same time to keep a close eye on the skies. It soon became apparent that traveling to the tower was going to be a long and arduous journey, and just as we were about to give up on our quest and turn back to the orb room, we spotted above us, one of the purple lizards, this one of a terrifyingly large proportion. As it swooped ever closer, I estimated its leathery wingspan to be at least 150 feet. A Dragon! I swear, I had never thought to see one in my lifetime, but there it was, an actual dragon. What an awesome beast this was, if we could somehow tame or befriend it, I could think of no better ally. As it drew nearer, I tried to wave and call to it, whilst drawing my bow at the same time, should we need to dissuade it from any unfriendly actions. Alas, my timing off and I distracted by my attempts to befriend the creature, I had no time to loose a shot before Tavin and myself were swept up into its magnificent clawed hands and carried away. Dropping my bow with the shock of the impact, I desperately yelled to Marcus to retrieve it if he could.
Oh Yugao, how can I explain the exhilaration and joy I felt as we soared through the air? I feel that I would bargain every possession and yes, even my very soul, to be able to fly as free as this beast. As we did not appear to be in any immediate danger, I again tried to call out to the dragon. If the stories of my people are correct, then these great lizards are intelligent, and if there was any chance of my being able to communicate with this one then I would not let my somewhat vicarious position interfere. Again, alas it was not to be, and with no response to my cries, the dragon unceremoniously dropped us on a platform hundreds of feet up the side of the tower towards which we had been previously heading. After a few short moments, another of these amazing creatures appeared, dropping Marcus beside us, thankfully with my bow in his hand. Once we had collected ourselves from this breath-taking journey, we began to walk towards an archway into the tower, only to be met before we could enter by an armoured female figure, heading out to meet us. Katrina. I wish that I could say that I was surprised, but considering all that I have been through since I first joined the order, I fear that this emotion is one that I am now a stranger to. After exchanging some pleasantries, Katrina explained that the Gauntlet lay beyond the archway and that she would facilitate our friends joining us before we entered, in return for the Jovaran sword that Marcus was carrying, on loan to him by Adoril. Marcus, on some sort of misplaced loyalty kick, refused to hand over the sword, even after I tried to explain to him that Adoril would have no problem with the sword being given to Katrina, considering their shared heritage. At this, Katrina stated that she has no problem duelling for the sword if Marcus is opposed to handing it over willingly and at this, she raised her shield and threw an axe straight towards Marcus’s head. Amazingly, the axe did not immediately split his stubborn bonce in twain but instead proceeded to hang in the air, attacking him from every angle and entirely independently of Katrina’s involvement. A valuable weapon indeed.
The pointless duel continued until a portal popped into being, through which the rest of our companions appeared, and after explaining the situation quickly to Adoril, he immediately advised Marcus to hand the sword over to Katrina. Unfortunately, I think that Katrina’s notoriously fiery blood was up, and she demanded appeasement still, continuing to harry Marcus with her floating axe. Tavin at this point, being the stalwart dwarf that he is, stepped between Marcus and the axe, claiming that the duel was his to fight, being the commander of our merry band. With a twinkle in her eye, the former Silver Knight accepted and sent the axe toward Tavin. After numerous attacks, counter attacks and feints, during which Tavin proved himself a worthy opponent, Katrina managed a successful strike, plunging a stiletto blade into Tavins thigh. At the sight of this Marcus, attempted to intervene, but Elre and I managed to hold him back, and with the sight of our wounded compatriot on the ground, Katrina was appeased. It appeared however that some tricky enchantment had been placed upon the blade which resisted our attempts to remove it. Only after bargaining away my newly found concussive mace did Katrina agree to remove the blasted knife, which she then did, with some enjoyment and relish and at the same time causing some not inconsiderable damage to the dwarf. It was therefore with great relief that I noticed that at some point in the midst of the fray, Vallen had arrived. Looking somewhat changed from his previous adventures, with a newly forged set of limbs and the mechanised India by his side, now referring to herself as Maria Fortuna. After retrieving his bracer from his own dismembered arm in Marcus’s pack, he healed our fallen commander and we all turned to face the archway. As we prepared to enter the doorway another strange character appeared, one which we had never met before, but that Katrina referred to as Master. He insisted that she send us to the “Hall of Mirrors”. After some small effort to deter him from this choice, he relented, and our motley band at last exited through the archway to a challenge of Katrina’s choosing.
We found ourselves at the top of a stairway, leading down to a pathway in a huge domed arena. Three other stairways were visible to us, with varied teams of combatants ready at each and a large raised area laying in the centre of it all. A loud voice intones “You must survive in the centre for 30 seconds before you can leave”.
If we fall in this encounter, then I feel that we shall never leave the Gauntlet but shall become its servants alongside Katrina. Should this be the case then I may yet see you again.
Take care my friend and above all else… DO NOT TRUST ULENE!
Kai
Journal Entry of Marcus Muddywater
By James Scotland
Journal Entry 129
I enter the gauntlet. I came here for the treasure, but the gauntlet also provides an equal amount of compulsory death. I hope that someone is entertained. A voice booms out “You must survive in the center for 30 seconds before you can leave.” Great, a vague set of instructions that is open to wild interpretation.
There are eleven in our team. As well as the usual group of the dwarf who is always going down, the untrustworthy elf, the semi-reliable archer elf, and the diplomatic psychopath, we are now joined by an automaton servant, Vallen (who seems to now suffer from a depersonalization disorder), Marie, my unstable part-machine cousin, the bitchy elf with the sketchy background story that nobody likes, and a female elf who goes by the name Yugao. The automaton servant is holding a blue orb. If we all work as a team, then we should be able to extract treasure from the death. At this point of our gauntlet experience, I am hopeful.
We spread out and advance. The team opposite us move towards us. They seem to be a well-balanced team, seven heavily armored warriors, three archers, and two magicians. One of the magicians is holding a yellow orb. This team look to be very well-organized.
Almost immediately, the untrustworthy elf and the dwarf have been shot by the archers. Typical. However, Yugao is advancing on the enemy without backup. I am deeply impressed by this fearless warrior. Unfortunately, my faith in the elf was misplaced. She is not fearless; she has simply got a-head of herself. Instead of seeing this elf effortless neutralize several members of the opposite team, she has dropped a flash grenade, blinded herself, and is now squirming on the floor. I expect that she will become great friends with the dwarf.
Both teams move down a level towards the steps which lead to the center of the room. Vallen releases a huge fireball. It deflects off one of the enemy mages, hits a wall, and explodes harmlessly. The bitchy elf, in the shape of bear, charges forward. An area of lightning crackles in the midst of our team, injuring several. The dwarf and the untrustworthy elf advance. The semi-reliable archer reliably releases her tiger. Perhaps I should call her The Tiger Queen? Unfortunately, the diplomatic psychopath is slow to enter the fray.
I flank the enemy. Once at their rear, a target one of the mages. Although I cut across her neck cleanly, the blow is somehow suppressed. Instead of seeing her fall to her knees, she is simply stunned. The rear of their team focus their attention on me. I run and get an arrow in my leg for my trouble. My flank attack is a failure.
The teams meet, and the dance of combat ensures. Swords clash; energy is spent, mana is used. We are at a standstill. We are equally matched. Our team is more powerful, the enemy team are better tacticians.
Tavin Grimmane, Soldier’s Journal
By Aaron Monroe
Soldier’s Journal, Tavin Grimmane
Day 570
We stood ready in a strange room awaiting the start of the Gauntlet. No one spoke much. We heard a strange voice announce some instructions that we were to stand in the center of a room for 30 seconds. Then, presumably, we could leave. Previous experience has shown me that what is expected to happen never does. Yet I felt unafraid despite the challenge and danger awaiting us. Although I had tasted bitter defeat, I also knew the flavor of victory, and I was hungry for it.
I was reeling from my recent defeat at the hands of that strange warrior woman, Katrina Fireblood, who proved to be a dirty fighter. She had used a magical axe to attack on its own and keep me distracted while she sized me up and wounded me with a cursed blade. I deserved a soldier’s death, but Katrina let me live, but was unwilling to remove the cursed blade. Despite all our efforts with magic and medical knowledge, the blade could not be removed, and so Kai was forced to trade her exploding mace, a wonderful weapon, in return for having the knife removed. I would remember Kai’s kindness, and needed to find a way to repay her somehow. Perhaps I could teach her a dwarfish fighting song to lift her spirits sometime if she were feeling moody?
In any case, the defeat was a hard lesson, but perhaps some good could come from it. I wondered if my rune axe could do a similar trick as Katrina used? I would need to practice some unconventional fighting strategies. Before exiting, Katrina gave us the choice to remain on the tower or enter the portal to the Gauntlet. My group assisted me to lumber towards the portal, and we entered a strange hall.
Vallen was there! However, he now looked different. He had strange parts, resembling the limbs of the automatons, attached where his natural flesh and bone arm and leg had been. Although it was jarring to see him at first, it was a blessing to see our old strange friend alive.
In another corner was India, or the being who was once India. She now called herself Maria Fortuna and was a full automaton. I wondered if Marcus was upset at this change brought about by his cousin and former lover. But for now, reunions and discussions had to wait as a battle would soon be upon us!
I also saw the strange dark elf female, Yugao. We had fought before when we first met in Dussleholm. She had been a pitiful fighter, and only Kai’s peaceful interference and my desire to get information had spared her from having the life strangled from her. Yugao had always seemed crazy and strange to me, and a disturbing presence for Vallen and the group when we first travelled together. I had no idea what Yugao had been up to in recent times, but seeing her ready for combat did not instill any confidence in me. After all, she seemed to enjoy fighting with a whip. In dwarfish culture, whips were used as toys to amuse the children, and too clumsy to be used in active combat.
The group began to prepare for combat. Potions were distributed amongst us to make everyone stronger, and I was given a potion to increase my health. My knife wound was healed by Vallen. We were seasoned warriors, accustomed to fighting as a single mind and unit. I knew with certainty we would prevail in the coming conflict. The Gauntlet portal finally opened, and we stepped through.
The plan was simple; stay in one corner, with myself, Adoril, and Elre to defend attacks from the front, while Vallen, Marie, and magic users could provide defense and support from behind. Kai would slay many a foe with her bow and arrows. It was a sound plan.
Although we had a battle plan, I am constantly frustrated at how our rag tag group almost immediately disregards it. Every. Single. Time. Adoril, Yugao and several others began immediately moving up north in the Gauntlet towards another group. Reluctantly, I felt compelled to follow to make sure no one got killed. If we survived this, we would need to develop some training and better discipline to fight as a unit.
As we moved, Vallen and Kai recognized some strange wizard in a corner. Apparently, he had been a victim of several of Vallen and Kai’s attacks in a previous encounter within the Gauntlet. Unfortunately, this meant we no longer had the full element of surprise since this one group would have knowledge of Kai and Vallen’s powers and capabilities. Still, if we were careful, perhaps we could manage.
In the distance, we saw worg riders and orcs fighting each other. Soldiers with shields, some archers, and the wizard, and possibly one or two other magic users from the other party were also cautiously approaching us. Elre and I took the lead, approaching to block the approach of the other group while securing our route to the entrance between two ten-foot walls. We were told before entering the Gauntlet by a strange voice to find some colored orbs that would bestow the holder with some mysterious powers or abilities. The new plan was developing to find an area with one of these orbs, secure the area, and wait for things to clear down before we moved to the center to escape the Gauntlet.
Or at least, that plan would have worked if we were better disciplined. As Elre and I scouted ahead, the soldiers threw a smoke grenade that managed to blind and suffocate us. While moving to avoid the smoke, the archers let loose with their arrows and I was hit by a couple of them. Elre was injured as well. I cursed myself at my recent string of terrible luck and lack of combat skill. It was shameful for a Lahmekh soldier to be targeted so easily. In the back of my mind, I realized our opponents were better organized and tactical than we were. They would not be brought down so easily.
For reasons only known to herself, Yugao was on her own near the enemy soldiers and attempted to throw a grenade to blind them. The grenade ricocheted and had the effect of blinding Yugao. Some of the soldiers began shooting at her, but she was able to evade and find cover.
Elre and I managed to recover and move to the cover of the wall. As our group managed to move to behind the ten-foot wall, I noticed the other side was moving as well but towards the far north. There seemed to be a sorcerer, holding one of the orbs, from the other side who was growing taller…and in the distance, one of the worg riders, also with an orb, was also growing larger…this could create a complication for combat. To our south was a blue dais and blue colored orb. Kai and Astrid were moving towards it.
Combat had become a bloody and pitiful mess. Our group was too scattered, and our opponents were keen and able to exploit our weakness easily. Sarafina was charging straight at a group of soldiers on her own, Kai, and Vallen were in the rear away from everyone else, and Elre and I were off to one side against the wall for cover, trying to recover from the arrows. I had no idea where Marcus was, nor for that matter what Marie and Maria Fortuna were doing or where they were. While trying to gather my bearings for a moment, I felt a surge of pain and electricity.
One of their sorcerers had hit Elre and I with a cloud of electrical energy. I was too injured in the leg to move quickly out of the way, when suddenly I saw Maria Fortuna appear out of nowhere. While at first I thought she had turned against us and was taking her opportunity to murder a weakened member of the group, I did not resist. She managed to kick me out of the electrical cloud and then moved off towards combat. I was relieved that Maria had decided to help us instead of taking revenge against us for Marcus being such a terrible cousin and lover, resulting in her becoming an automaton.
To his credit, Marcus had somehow managed to sneak on the sorceress who had cast the electrical storm and stab her in the neck, injuring her, but her magical spells seemed to deflect most of the blow. Some soldiers began firing on Marcus, who managed to jump away with his magically-enhanced boots, and the sorceress managed to escape to safety. Marcus was a crafty fighter, I had to admit. His diversion had bought us some time to regroup.
Finally out of harm’s way, I managed to move to have Vallen heal me. However, he cast a spell before I willed myself to be open to his magic, and so the spell had no effect. Vallen seemed perturbed about this. I made an apologetic look and shouted it would work now, and he cast the spell, healing my leg and returning my full mobility. Fully recovered, I felt anger and rage surge within me. I was going to make our enemies bleed. I took a moment’s breath to steady myself…the whole battlefield was chaotic madness. Sarafina was being grievously injured and surrounded in her bear form by 3 soldiers, Adoril was off to one side near stairs, Kai had released Tony, Vallen had failed to throw a fireball, and Elre, Maria, myself, Marie were off to the left side grouped together. Our opponents were regrouping, and their archers were preparing to take aim.
The immediate concern was to fight through the two soldiers to my north from the electrical field to distract them from Sarafina, who would die soon otherwise. I threw my shield to further distract one of the soldiers Kai had shot at, which he blocked but no matter…we now had his attention away from Sarafina, which is what I wanted. Elre took cover behind my shield as we advanced, with myself blocking the soldier’s attacks and Elre being free to counter-attack with his polesword. This seemed like a good tactic, and I would need to remember this in the future. While distracted, Marie hit the soldier with a choking spell, and taking advantage, Elre managed to seriously injure him and force a retreat. Sarafina had managed to get away and was healed by Vallen. We were slowly starting to fight as a unit. In the near distance, one of their sorcerers holding a yellow orb was about 15 feet tall and casting healing spells on a few of his comrades.
Combat raged on. I took a minor injury from a soldier with a sword, but returned with my own attacks in kind, providing cover for Elre to counterattack, and myself injuring another soldier with my axe and forcing his retreat. Adoril had been attacked by two soldiers who had knocked him down the stairs and pinned him down, but were unable to pierce through his armor at the moment. Vallen was throwing fireballs and healing spells, and Kai had managed to obtain a yellow orb and was starting to grow. Marie was providing support with casting curses and throwing grenades.
Our opponents were also fighting on and trying to hold out a defense. When a member was injured, the group attempted to provide retreat and one of the sorcerers would cast a healing spell. It dawned on me that this group was not attacking us out of malice, but mostly retreating and taking defensive measures….which had been our initial plan as well. Unfortunately, Astrid, who was scouting the battlefield, reported that the worg riders had defeated the orcs and were approaching us. Both of our sides were now compromised, and we needed to take a defensive position away from each other soon in order to reestablish a protected front.
As this is happening, I briefly noticed up north, Yugao had attempted a solo sneak attack on some archers, but had been attacked by three soldiers who had come up to defend them. While dodging the first two, the third had struck her in the neck, decapitating her entirely. So much for fighting with whips and tricks. With no time to mourn, I continued with the countless parrying, blocking, and swinging as I fought my way towards some of the others. At one point, a soldier swung his sword but managed to hurt himself, and while trying to take advantage of the opportunity, I managed to drop my weapon! Thankfully, the soldier retreated and I managed to get my axe without injury. It was a shameful moment for a veteran Lahmekh soldier….hopefully no one else saw or would remember it.
Suddenly, a voice was heard around the Gauntlet that new combatants had entered the arena. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure that appeared to be a dwarf riding towards us on a large animal, perhaps a strohm? The figure seemed familiar to me, but from some time ago…
I did notice Adoril was still under assault and pinned on the stairs, and managed to redeem myself a bit by attacking and seriously injuring one of the soldiers while engaging another. It allowed Adoril enough time to ready himself. It was around this time the soldiers seem to realize they were almost completely surrounded and would likely die if they did not attempt escape immediately. As they made their move to rejoin their comrades north over the wall, we assaulted them, and Vallen hit one with a fireball.
At this point, the battle finally seemed to turn in our favor. Kai, now almost 7 feet tall, managed to hit a few soldiers climbing the wall, Marcus managed to seriously injure and kill a few archers, Marie managed to shoot a couple as well with a pistol, and Adoril and Sarafina recovered and were assaulting soldiers as they attempted to escape. One of the new combatants, who I now recognized as our former fellow dwarven comrade, Nothur, was firing arrows at one of the floating mages. Yugao’s decapitated corpse continued to lay uselessly and lifeless in the fields to the north of us, but we had gotten a measure of revenge by slaying some of their comrades, and drove them into full retreat. All of those remaining from their side had escaped to the other side of the wall to our east, past the stairs. Astrid warned us one of the other new combatants had turned the word riders into stone through some strange spell, so we made the plan to regroup north by the yellow dais and recover Yugao’s body. Vallen, who knew Yugao the longest, strangely did not seem as troubled as I thought he would. Nothur and Grognak, his animal steed, retrieved the red orb and Marcus craftily managed to get the green orb after quaffing a few potions of healing to heal is ankle, which he had broken by landing poorly on the stairs after one of his leaps.
We now controlled three orbs, which would provide our group with much needed magical strength to escape alive. Adoril was watching our backs at the yellow orb Dias and warned us that another combatant was crouching on the wall above us. The combatant didn’t interested in engaging us, though he and Adoril engaged in a staring contest with each other. At least, we think that is what happened since the new combatant had a full helm that didn’t seem to have any eye slits. So, we don’t know who won the starring contest, but Adoril assured us that he did. Kai was watching at the top of the stairs, scouting the center of the arena and sniping at our opponents who were hiding behind a giant obelisk in the middle. As we prepared to make our move to the center of the Gauntlet arena, she suddenly disappeared into nothingness.
Fearing the worst, we rushed to the center…we heard a voice that a group had exited the arena. As we arrived, we did not see any survivors from the other group, any of the remaining sorcerers or soldiers, but did find Kai’s headless body amidst a closing portal. From what I could gather in the moment, perhaps one of their sorcerers had used trickery to transport her for a sneak attack—a coward’s move—before making their escape from the Gauntlet. The sorcerer who had encountered Vallen and Kai before had still been alive. The fact Kai’s head had clearly been taken as some trophy showed how vindictive the sorcerer was. I swore he would not live long if our paths met ever again. A head would be taken for a head. Vallen did seem distraught over Kai’s death, however.
Still, we were not yet safe to mourn. We took a defensive stance, guarding each side of the circle, and awaited for any attack that might come. Marcus and Nothur continued to grow, which would provide us with useful scouting and an offensive advantage if needed. A horned beast, a minotaur I think it was called, was approaching, and looked like it could cause trouble, and yet a cloaked woman seemed to be confidently approaching him. As they neared each other, the woman simply removed her hood, and the beast man turned to stone. I had encountered this magic before in a previous Gauntlet, in which Elre had been petrified into stone by a large bust of a medusa. I hastily looked the other way, and someone shouted a warning to the others to do the same.
Strangely, Vallen was chattering excitedly to himself as he pulled off his backpack and began rummaging through it. Without looking at the woman, I managed to gather from Vallen’s mutterings that he had put on his strange goggles that he had made on Marlquet Island and was looking at and chatting the woman. It almost seemed like he was….flirting with her?! Although I disdained such places, I would need to encourage Marcus to escort Vallen to a “comfort establishment” similar to the Mermaid’s Tail if we survived this…if the strange wizard needed time spent with women, there were safer ways to do it!
It seemed like an eternity, but a portal opened and a voice in the Gauntlet announced the exit from the Gauntlet was open. We begin shouting for Vallen to make his escape with us, but he kept approaching the woman, almost enthralled in his conversation. None of us could move to Vallen easily without risking looking at the medusa woman and being turned to stone. Thankfully, Maria Fortuna seemed immune and was able to approach Vallen and attempt to talk some sense into him. Unfortunately, Vallen was not interested in anything she or anyone else had to say. He continued resisting and trying to chat with the woman, who was threatening to destroy his friend if she did not leave the two of them alone. The portal began closing, so a few of us began to jump through. I heard Maria grab Vallen and carry him, hollering in protest, to our portal. I jumped in at the last possible moment, and Vallen arrived just after with me. Maria Fortuna, it seems, threw Vallen through the portal but did not come through herself.
We had survived, but not without tragedy. Losing Kai was a great loss, but at least we recovered her body. Yugao, no great loss, was also recovered. Vallen for the moment was upset and stormed off, and we gave him space since he didn’t have much of anywhere to go. After some time, he calmed down and realized he was under some kind spell. He returned to us in the strange magical underground elemental prison.
Vallen explained that Maria never wanted to return to Hauther, instead wanting him to travel the firmament with her. However, he wanted to return to bring an end to the Revenarum. So, it seems she chose a new life and escape through a new portal. I wondered if we would ever meet each other again, and if Marcus would miss his kissing cousin and, most likely, one and only lover. For now, we decided the best thing to do would be to rest where we were. Elre and I could try to find any remaining crystals on the Isle of Marr around the rubble, and Vallen could seek assistance from Marie and Sarafina to attempt to resurrect our fallen comrades, but it would take energy and time. Still, it gives us some hope.
Inner Thoughts of Sarafina Valhorn
By Conan Kmiecik
The Illuminated Tale of the Silver Knights and Their Bargain with the Magical Scion
Sooo, this tale totes begins after the Silver Knights and I survived being summoned to [redacted]. SMH. Sorry, something that I can’t talk about! Any-hoo, the Errow shapeshifter, Kai, and the Dark Elf Ninja Seductress Silver Knight Officer (umm…trying too much?), Yugao, were beheaded, like LITERALLY! So gross! BLEH!
Me and the Silver Knights (the ones with their heads still intact) were all trapped in this underground temple with a mana scion. Apparent-hoo, in order to get enough magic for Vallen (half robot Dark Elf wizard), Adoril (guy wearing too much armor with a crush on robot girl, Astrid), and me to cast a resurrection spell, we had to make a deal with the scion. He was like, “I’ll totes give you the magic you need to resurrect your friends from the dead, like literally, but you need to free me afterwards.” We were all then like, “Bet!”
Alakazam. Presto. Just like that, Kai and the Ninjuctress were alive with their head backs on. But OMG as soon as the Ninjuctress had her head attached she wouldn’t stop talking. “What happened? Where are we? Why don’t we try this?” Gurl, chillax! You talking too much. I wanted to transform into a tree and leave the situation. [BTW I can totes transform into a tree now, along with a bear and wolf, thanks to Tavin (the dwarf in the spanx armor) doing me a solid by trading me the Mask of Yirdil.]
Sooo, in order to free the scion, we thought that we had to move these magical staves each from a chamber in the four directions to a cubbies outside of the chambers. However, one of the chambers was blocked by a cave in. The human and the elvish Silver Knights were like, “Dwarves, what do we do?” And Nothur (the dwarven diplomat with a minor in dwarven studies) got all woke. He was like, “Umm, check your privilege, you heightist humanoids! Not all dwarves are miners. Tavin is a professional soldier, and my people were shepherds.” Right on, I mean it’s 1055, like gross dwarves don’t have to be just gross miners. They can be gross mermen or gross giant ram riders too. #notalldwarves
After about two days, we cleared the cave in, and Kai was like a single woman after a two-month quarantine: she was all about the staff!
But as soon as she clutched the air staff, she was in for a wild ride because that staff bounced her all over the chamber. Wall after wall, it was brutal and hard to watch. Then when she finally flopped to the ground battered and bloodied, she wanted more! So that sicko Marcus pushed the staff back into Kai’s hand so that she could be bounced around the chamber some more. Then she was dead! Great, why did I spend all that time and magic resurrecting her? She was like a girlfriend who breaks up with her man, constantly complains about him, and then immediately gets back with him. Not cool. I was like, “Bye, Felicia!”
Sooo, we left Kai’s lifeless body there. And then Adoril was like, “Umm, I kinda remembered something.” Apparent-hoo, the mural in the temple gave instructions about the proper order for handling the elemental staves. Fire, earth, air, water. Ok, Adoril, good memory! And immediately, the Ninjuctress was like, “Oh, I’ll retrieve the fire staff.” Great, now all the Silver Knight men are going to think that us women are staff crazy! C’mon ladies. Like I need you totes to be stand-up sisters around these stand-up pissers!
But no shade, not gonna lie, the Ninjuctress had a plan. She had magic items to handle the fire and move quickly. So, as she got her hands on that the fire staff, she was aflame and down the hall. However, soon as she made her way out of the hallway BOOM! Four 11-foot robot cyclops burst through the wall of each of the hallways leading to the elemental chambers. The Silver Knight boys were like, “Huzzah, things to kill!” And I was like, “Great, time to cast some healing spells!”
Sooo, the Silver Knight boys were all hack slash with their weapons while Vallen, Marie, and I were trying to get closer to them. And then one of the cyclop’s eyes got all bright, and a bolt of lightning shot of its hand. People tried to dodge it, but if someone got out of its way, it would just try to zap someone else. The Ninjuctress was like, “I’m invisible, y’all.” And the lightning was like, “I’m lightning. I don’t care.” Eventually, we all got zapped by the stupid robot cyclops and their stupid lightning bolts.
Funny story: Marcus thought he was going pwn the robot cyclops by waiting to stab it in its glowing eye. And you know what? He got shocked for his brilliant maneuver. #nooblife
Yet, it was a good thing the robot cyclops moved so slow because Adoril was able to use his distant blow spell and chop at the cyclops as they pub crawled their way to us. He was like, air chop, air chop, air chop…. “Stay back Astrid!” Air chop, air chop, air chop…. Soon all the cyclops were in pieces.
Sooo, the cyclops were all dead and so was Kai and everyone was afraid of handling the other staves and someone suggested that Astrid should move the remaining staves because she was robot and the ill effects might not affect her because she was totes a robot. But then the Ninjuctress got all Karen. She was like, “What about this? Why don’t we try this? And, I want to speak to your manager!” Finally, we were all like, “Just let the robot move the staves!”
And do you know what? Nothing bad happened to Astrid!
Sooo, the scion was freed, and we were like, “Magic items, please!” And the scion was like, “How do you like deez magic items?” And he zapped Vallen dead and was like, “Peace out!” Then he was gone!
Great! Kai and Vallen were dead, and Vallen was the only one in the party who knew how to cast resurrection! FML
The totes true story by Sarafina.