Within her passion I felt the essence of the unknown force that still lay within her. I could sense it reaching out to me, and I knew that if I reached back in return, that it would have emerged amid our passion. Fortunately, I was able to resist the temptation to bring it forth. Once the hidden presence realized that I would not release it, the energy withdrew, seemingly biding its time. Tási had apparently been unaware of the brief struggle that had been waged within her, and once the presence pulled back, I flooded her with waves of gentle energy, bringing her quickly to release.
She had fallen asleep almost immediately after I brought her to climax, as I had intended. Whatever had happened, I didn’t want to risk the power within her emerging before we were as prepared as possible for its arrival. I had no idea what it might be, but whatever precautions we could take needed to be available before we ventured any further intense contact.
Tási stirred, and I felt her silky skin slide over me as she stretched languidly against me.
“Sorry I fell asleep on you,” she whispered as she gently kissed my neck. “I know it’s a bit overdue, but let me pay you back now.”
“No, Tási,” I said as I reluctantly pulled away from her. “That’s not a good idea. Something happened last night that you need to know about.”
I explained the strange presence that I had sensed within her, how it had beckoned to me, urging me to set it free. Tási was shocked by what I revealed to her and did not take the news very well. I tried my best to console her and redirect her frustrations.
“Tási,” I tried to appeal to her. “I still think that whatever is within you is a good thing, and I promise that we will deal with it together when Venna gets back and its safe for us to try, but we just fended off a major assault and killed an orc prince. I’m absolutely positive we have not seen the last of the Black Hand tribe. They will be back. There’s going to be a lot of planning and work to do before they get here. Let’s focus on that for now.”
“Alright,” she conceded half-heartedly.
With the difficulty issue at least temporarily addressed, we got ready for what promised to be a very busy day. So much had to be done, but first I needed to take care of the many pending notifications that I knew were waiting for me. So, I asked Tási to find Bane for me while I tended to my messages.
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 26.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to INT and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
I was faced with a bit of a dilemma. I had intended to balance my stats a little better, but Strength served as the modifier for all three of my Advanced Abilities. Putting my remaining point there would boost my offense at the expense of balance, but at the risk of possibly limiting my capabilities in the future. I decided that my present needs overrode the possibilities of an unknown future, and put the point into Strength, hoping that my focus there would not come back to haunt me as the notifications resumed.
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 440 XP.
Experience gained – You have gained 110 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 110 XP.
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
Experience gained – You have gained 880 XP.
You have gained a level! – You have earned sufficient experience to advance to level 27.
You have gained three Attribute points. Two of your points have been automatically assigned to STR and CHA. You may assign the remaining point to any other Attribute as you see fit.
I had gotten full credit for a fairly large number of the orc casualties. Between the Shockwave arrows and the one trap that had been triggered during the orcs attempt to capture the gateway, I had managed to injure a lot of them, earning a great deal of XP in the process. My companions’ kills had given me partial credit as well, plus the single points of XP I had been granted for every other kill that occurred during the battle. It seemed the death of the sub-chieftain had been listed last and was the most valuable single kill I had made, putting me over the edge and granting me yet another level. I couldn’t help but smile at the irony of it as I put the stat point into Constitution.
Quest completed – You have completed the quest Defender of the Realm. An attack against your lands has been successfully repelled. You have been rewarded with 8800 XP. This Quest is repeatable.
Quest Assigned – Vengeance of the Black Hand. You have personally slain the sub-chieftain of the Black Hand tribe. This act will not go unpunished. You must survive their attempt at retribution.
The final two messages scrolled automatically once I made my selection. While the first was a pleasant surprise, the second one sent a shiver down my spine. I suspected that the orcs might not be done with us, but the stark words in front of my eyes made me realize just how severe the threat truly was.
I took a deep breath as I closed the window. I had known this was going to be a busy day—I had even understood that it involved planning for the possibility of another attack by the orcs, but having that possibility confirmed in such dire terms was profoundly unsettling. I needed to plan for this next assault better than I had prepared for the attack we had just repelled. Far better.
Just before I stepped out of the tent, I realized that I hadn’t looked over the changes to my personal sheet. The shock of the message about the orcs’ intended revenge had diverted my attention, so I paused at the exit and quickly looked over the information.
Dreya Dae
Sintári Female
Title: Sintári
Level – 27
310569/321200
Health - 330/330 Aura - 770/770 Endurance - 330/330
Sintári – Sintári interact with their surroundings in unusual ways. The effects of these interactions can be unpredictable
Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects
Specialization – Protector
Mastery –
STR - 34 (+3)
CON - 28 (+2)
DEX - 24 (+2)
INT - 24 (+2)
WIS - 22 (+2)
CHA - 42 (+4)
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 36%
Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 35%
Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 20%
Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost – 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 47%
Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 25%
Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 23%
Hamstring – The next arrow fired has a chance to cripple your opponent. Cost – 20 Aura. – 32%
Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 23%
Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 37%
Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura.– 35%
Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 25%
Penetrator – Advanced Ability – Your arrow pierces through armor easily. With increased proficiency it may penetrate through even greater barriers. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Aura. – 17%
Disable – Advanced Ability – A successful strike of your blade to an extremity renders the affec
ted limb completely useless until healed. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 60 Endurance. – 5%
Shockwave – Advanced Ability – Your arrow explodes on contact, dealing minimal damage but generating a stunning Shockwave in a radius around its detonation. Size and scope of this effect increase with proficiency. Modifier – Strength. Cost – 120 Aura. – 11%
Sintári Abilities
Natural Affinity – The Sintári’s unique connection with the natural world may manifest itself in random ways at times. While these effects are generally beneficial, they are also typically outside the direct control of the Sintári. Modifier – Charisma.
Control
Effect varies, applies to all Sintári Abilities. – 33%
Protector Abilities
See Truth – Once per day, the spoken words of your target become visible to you, allowing you to see the truth held within them. Strength and duration of this effect increase with proficiency. Cost – 60 Aura. Modifier – Wisdom. – 18%
Spells
Enhanced Sight – May be cast on self or ally. Improves visual acuity of the recipient in dark or obscured conditions. Cost – 20 Aura. – 46%
Create Trap – Place a magical trap upon an area. Size, type and trigger of traps is determined by your proficiency. Cost – 40 Aura. – 53%
Elemental Arrow – Your next arrow is imbued with elemental energy and causes additional elemental damage accordingly. Cost – 30 Aura. – 28%
Bolt – Release a Bolt of pure Lightning at your target(s). Cost – 40 Aura. – 24%
Find Weakness – Highlights vulnerable points on the target. Modifier – Intelligence. Cost – 80 Aura. – 10%
Summon Elemental – Summons an Elemental creature. If you succeed in binding it to your will, the creature will serve you faithfully until the spell’s expiration. Modifier – Charisma. Cost 100 Aura. – 12%
Skills
Bow – 52%
Critical Hit – 41%
Blades – 34%
Long Sword – 37%
Short Sword – 29%
Dagger – 26%
Critical Hit – 29%
Two-Handed – 30%
Pole Arms – 14%
Spear – 23%
Armor – 31%
Medium Armor – 36%
Perception – 44%
Environmental – 46%
Identify Enemy – 46%
Identify Person – 39%
Combat Dodge – 25%
Subterfuge – 30%
Stealth – 35%
Find Trap – 11%
Disarm Trap – 8%
Set Trap – 10%
Manipulation – 37%
Persuade – 48%
Barter – 31%
Survival – 24%
Tracking – 26%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 19%
Skinning – 16%
Field Dress – 15%
Alchemy – 19%
Herbalism – 31%
Potion Craft – 27%
Lore – 3%
Identify Magical Item – 5%
My progress was as I expected, but I quickly realized that something was wrong. My Aura pool was full, no points were reserved for Ridge’s summoning, and I realized that I must have lost the connection with the magic when I’d fallen into unconsciousness.
“Tási!” I called out for her as I hurried outside.
“Over here,” she replied, hearing the urgency in my voice. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to find Broda and Khorim, then I’ll explain,” I told her as we rushed off in search of our companions.
We made our way to the fortifications where I was sure my two friends were already busy dealing with the aftermath of the battle. When we arrived, there was a bustle of activity going on. Teams of dwarves busily worked to strip the dead orcs of anything worthwhile, while others stacked the looted corpses in piles, preparing to dispose of them in a raging bonfire. While we searched for them, someone must have made Broda and Khorim aware of my return because they found us first.
“Good morning, sleepyheads!” Khorim greeted us. “Glad you could join us.”
“I wish I could say the same, master dwarf,” I replied.
Khorim’s face fell as he realized he had been outdone yet again.
“I have news—we need to go somewhere we can talk and make some plans,” I continued.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Broda said cautiously.
“It’s not,” I replied bluntly.
Broda led us inside one of the dwarven barracks and into a room that had been carved out to serve as an officer’s quarters. She lit a lamp as we took our places sitting on the bare stone floor, and I told them of the dire quest I had received.
“You’re right,” Broda said when I finished telling them what I had read. “The Black Hand are not the sort to let something like this go. This confirms what we already suspected. They will be coming for us, and next time, we won’t be facing a single war party. We’ll be up against everything they can muster.”
With Broda’s stark assessment made, we turned our attention to planning for the impending attack. I brought out the elf King’s tome, and we reviewed the plans that had been so carefully laid out for us.
The wall itself was nearly complete, only the towers still needed to be added. Two guarding the gateway, and one carved into the mountainside at either end of the wall’s span. Once completed, they would afford us a commanding view of the surrounding land and provide a powerful addition to our defenses. Behind the fortifications, there were still additional barracks to be constructed, in addition to several other routine buildings. The key defensive structure in that area was an extension to the tunnel that comprised the gateway to the outside. A long, fully enclosed passageway turned the entrance beneath the wall into a gauntlet of hell for any attackers. The far end of the passage would be blocked by a reinforced portcullis, trapping enemies within the confines of the tunnel. While the barrier held them there, defenders would be able to slaughter them mercilessly via the many murder holes and arrow slits carved into the walls and even the ceiling above. So long as that portcullis held, the passageway was little more than a deathtrap.
“With these towers built, we could hold off the orcs for a long time,” Khorim offered.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Broda replied to him. “We have less than a hundred to defend with. That’s not enough people to take proper advantage of those towers. We’ll only wind up spreading ourselves too thin and give the orcs an opportunity to overwhelm us.”
“We’re going to build the passageway,” I said as a plan suddenly came to me. “I need to call Ridge back—he has to finish Hilgreth’s forge first, so she can get started on the portcullis, but then I’m going to have him build the extension to the gateway.”
“Get Dellon and his sons working on an outer gate,” I told Khorim. “It doesn’t need to be pretty, I just need it built quickly.”
“Broda,” I said turning to her next. “Get the stonemasons working on whatever needs to be done to get that gate up. Once that’s finished, I need them to carve out every last murder hole and arrow port in these diagrams. We need this done right—this passageway is going to be the key to our victory.”
They both set off immediately, and Tási joined me as I strode purposefully back to the fortifications. With complete confidence, I cast the Summon Elemental Spell in full view of the many dwarves that were still working in the area. Ridge’s form rose from the earth as they watched in amazement, and he greeted me in his usual manner.
“How may I serve you, Mistress?” His gravelly voice asked as he inclined his head towards me.
“First, my apologies for your abrupt dismissal yesterday. I hope it caused no ill-effects,” I replied.
“It was unexpected, Mistress, but caused no harm.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Ridge,” I said with some relief. “I need you to finish Hilgreth’s forge and then build the extension for the gateway. The orcs w
ill be coming back again, and we need to be ready for them.”
“I will begin right away, Mistress,” he replied before heading off towards the nearly completed forge.
As I headed for my next destination, Tási followed along with Bane still perched on her shoulder, just as I had found the two of them when I emerged from the tent that morning. When we reached Hilgreth’s temporary forge, Bane finally hopped onto my shoulder and made himself comfortable, winding his tail around my upper arm as I began speaking to the blacksmith.
“I need you to make a portcullis, Hilgreth,” I told her while I turned to the diagrams in the elf King’s tome. “It doesn’t need to look good, but it will need to be strong.”
“I’m not sure that I can build this with the facilities I have right now,” she said reluctantly as she looked over the specifications.
I grabbed her by the shoulders and spun the blacksmith around, pointing her face across the canyon to where Ridge was finishing his work.
“That’s your new forge,” I told her as she stared at the elemental’s work. “If there’s anything it lacks, let me know and I’ll have him add it for you.”
I released Hilgreth from my grasp and flipped the tome to the pages that showed the plans for the forge. Hilgreth looked them over for a moment and seemed satisfied that everything she needed would be there.
“When will it be ready?” Was her only question when she was finished.
“Later today, I expect,” I told her.
“I will have the work done for you as soon as possible, Lady Dreya,” she said before hurrying off to begin the busy work of relocating her equipment to the new forge.
I had just started to head back to our campsite for some breakfast when a young dwarf came running up to us.
“Lady Dreya,” he panted. “What shall we do with the salvage that has been gathered? There’s a great deal of armor and weapons and even some coin as well.”
“Have the gear brought to Hilgreth, see if she can put any of it to use,” I told him. “Deliver the coin to Broda. She can hold onto it until I can decide what to do with it.”
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